Ogun Collapsing PHC: Residents in serious danger

In view of the popular word of wisdom that there is always room for improvement, the government of Ogun State is being called upon to also direct its magic wand of rehabilitation on a collapsing Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in an ancient town of Yewa South LGA.

Oke-Erinja is in the neighborhood of Erinja town, the homestead of the incumbent Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun.

A source who craves anonymity sent a distressing message to atotoDaily calling for government’s prompt intervention in redeeming the alleged collapsing healthcare centre.

Two reporters of atotoDaily left office at about 10:13am on Monday, 29th July, 2024 to investigate the alleged deteriorating conditions as itemized in the message, and probably to advise the government of Ogun State led by Governor Dapo Abiodun on the need to yield to the call of the residents for needed attention if need be.

At about ten (10) metres from the tarred Ilaro-Owode road to the main entrance of the healthcare centre, the atotoDaily’s Group Editor had concluded that the facility has gone out of use. Moving closer into the doorstep of the main building, it was discovered surprisingly that the widely opened space was in use.

A floor well swept, two cleaned chairs and a table having medical equipment; sphygmomanometer, thermometer et cetera and a hardcover log book properly arranged were seen, depicting a functional Front Desk.

Following a good morning greetings by the visiting editors, a feminine voice responded from one of the wards, “you are welcome ma, please, sit on any of the chairs there, I will join you soon, give me few seconds”, a suspected Nurse entreated.

A charismatic lady stepped forward in time, exchanged pleasantries with the visitors, and asked them to have a seat thinking they had visited the healthcare centre for treatment.

One of the editors opened up that they were reporters who have visited the facility for investigation on certain rehabilitation allegedly needed to be carried out on the healthcare centre.

Unfortunately, the two health officers on duty were adamant, refused to offer any corroborating information.

They declined the reporters’ plea to inspect other wards, which according to the message received, were about to collapse.

In spite of the efforts by the health officers to cover up for their employer, atotoDaily can report that Oke-Erinja Primary HealthCare Centre needs an urgent attention in order to prevent an impending catastrophe, and to reduce the alleged increasing (though not able to lay hands on any reliable data) mortality rate in the town.

Bushy Surrounding:

The thick bush around the health centre at the material time poses serious health hazards not only to the personnel, also to both in and out patients.

The bushy environment has undoubtedly rendered the healthcare centre as a breeding landscape for army of giant female Anopheles mosquitoes – the Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax parasite – the two leading most dangerous parasite causing death in Africa, children under five years in particular.

atotoDaily scooped that on many occasions, patients and staff have had course to run for their lives because of varied sizes of snakes’ presence in the In-Patient Wards.

Moreso, the possibility of laza fever out-break at Oke-Erinja is high as the whole wards have become playing ground for rodents.

Dilapidated Structure:

All efforts to take photograph of the dilapidated and critically cracked portions of the wards were met with stiff opposition as the staff ensured no-access to the structure.

Based on the complaint, atotoDaily reports that apart from the reception and the ante-natal ward, all other structure in the premises have terribly split.

The painful truth is that the lack of maintenance has rendered the whole facility unbefitting for a healthcare centre.

Power Supply:

In addition to the constant blackout in the town, there is no provision for alternative power supply such as power generating set in the hospital.

A source revealed that the two bulbs available in the whole facility, been powered by a solar generator, were provided by the town’s Youths Association.

Often times, atotoDaily gathered that it’s when the patients and staff felt pains in their legs that they realised that rodents have eaten up their foots. Pathetically, at times in the dead of the night, patients have woke up apprehensively to see snakes by their side.

Three Bed, Three Mattress, No Ambulance:

The message alleged that there were three mattresses only in the whole of Oke-Erinja healthcare centre built to take care of about two thousand people.

Of serious concern is the unavailability of a standby ambulance; for example, that of the recently distributed tricycle ambulance which is meant to transfer complicated case to a secondary hospital.

Lack of public orientation:

atotoDaily found out that many residents have abandoned the healthcare centre because of its moribund nature, though at the detriment of their health and lives.

Implication:

It was gathered that the community, in recent times, has been experiencing surge in the number of avoidable deaths of children and adults especially the aged ones (though, due to lack of proper record obtainable at the facility and from the residents, stats of casualties couldn’t be ascertained).

All efforts taken to reach out to the Director of the Primary Health Care Service in Ogun State yielded no positive result.

Recommendations:

atotoDaily hereby proffers that:

1. Governor Dapo Abiodun led government should as a matter of urgency approve a total rehabilitation of the building that housed the healthcare centre in line with the Board’s mission to revitalize primary health care in Ogun State with a view to stimulating the people at the grassroots to see themselves as stakeholders in the dispensation of primary health care service in Ogun State.
2. Gardeners should be assigned to all Primary Healthcare Centres across the state, especially those in remote areas.
3. A functional power generating set at least should be provided for medical use, proper lighting of the premises and other necessary usages.
4. Most importantly, a periodic free treatment (preceded by engaging public campaigns) should be approved as a way of attracting the residents to the healthcare centre. The personnel should educate the community (in the people’s dialect) on the benefits of the planned free treatment.

Conclusion:

No Government can profit from ghost town. In addition to the fact that healthcare provision is a social service that should be provided by all tiers of government, development and prosperity can only be sustained among healthy and stable subjects.

Hence, it’s high time Governor Dapo Abiodun ordered an urgent comeback of the federal government built health facility to put an end to the undeserved health complications and casualties as residents of Oke-Erinja, Eredo and other remote areas in the State deserve adequate healthcare provision.