When PHCs Kill: How Ebonyi's Health Centers Failed Nigerians

Photo: The Punch

Chai! The stories wey dey come out from Ebonyi State Primary Health Centers (PHCs) go make you cry for this country. Na wetin we call healthcare? When pregnant women dey die because untrained people dey handle deliveries? When children dey suffer because fake nurses dey give wrong injections?

Make I tell you wetin our investigation reveal about these so-called health centers. E shock me pass electric shock!

Mama Chioma's Heartbreaking Story

Mama Chioma from Abakaliki still dey cry till today. Her first daughter, just 8 years old, don die because of negligence for one PHC for Ebonyi Local Government. The pikin get simple malaria, but the 'health worker' wey no get proper training give am wrong dosage of chloroquine injection.

'Na so my daughter just dey convulse for ground. I carry am for my back, run reach the state hospital, but e don late. My heart don break finish,' Mama Chioma tell us with tears for her eyes.

The painful part be say the person wey give the injection no even be qualified nurse. Na just secondary school certificate holder wey dem employ as 'community health worker.' How person wey no sabi difference between paracetamol and chloroquine go dey handle people life?

Ghost Workers and Abandoned Buildings

Our investigation show say many of these PHCs na just empty buildings with fancy signboards. Some of dem no get light for over two years. No clean water, no functional toilet, no proper bed for patients.

For Ikwo Local Government, we see one PHC wey the roof don collapse. Rain dey fall inside the consulting room! But government still dey pay salary for 'workers' wey no dey show up for work.

One community leader for Ezza North tell us say, 'We don write petition tire. We don go state secretariat tire. But nothing dey happen. Our people dey die like chicken, but the politicians no send.'

When Pregnancy Becomes Death Sentence

Sister Mary (not her real name) na one of the few qualified nurses for Ohaukwu PHC. She tell us horror stories wey go make your blood pressure rise:

'I don see pregnant women wey supposed get cesarean section, but we no get equipment. Some of dem don die for here because we no fit help dem. The government promised us ambulance since 2019, we never see am.'

She continue: 'Sometimes, na torch light we dey use deliver baby when NEPA take light. You fit imagine? Na so we dey save life for Nigeria?'

The statistics na pure wickedness. According to our findings, maternal mortality rate for some of these PHCs don reach 40%, when the acceptable international standard na less than 5%.

Drug Shortage and Expired Medicines

You know wetin pain me most? Some of these centers dey give expired drugs to patients. One man for Ebonyi South tell us how him receive paracetamol wey don expire since 2021, but na 2023 dem give am.

'The expiry date don fade, but you fit still see am small small. When I complain, the health worker tell me say na better thing than nothing,' the man talk.

For another PHC, dem dey share one malaria test strip for ten patients! How you wan take get accurate diagnosis with that kind yeye system?

Where the Government Money Dey Go?

Na here the story dey sweet and bitter at the same time. Federal government don allocate billions of naira for PHC development for Ebonyi State. State government too don budget money yearly for these centers.

But where the money dey go? Na question wey need serious answer.

One anonymous source for state ministry of health tell us say contractors dey collect money for projects wey dem no execute. Some of dem go just buy few bags of cement, snap photo, submit fake report.

'The corruption for this health sector na another level. People dey die, but the money dey enter private pocket,' the source talk.

What Must Happen Now

Enough of this nonsense! We need immediate action:

• Ebonyi State Government must conduct emergency audit of all PHCs and publish the findings
• All unqualified health workers must be removed immediately and proper staff recruited
• Regular surprise visits by government officials to ensure facilities dey work properly
• Community involvement in monitoring PHC operations
• Prosecution of any official wey mismanage PHC funds

Governor Francis Nwifuru, we dey look your side. Your people dey die because of bad healthcare. This na time to show leadership, not just grammar for television.

Our Call to Ebonyi Communities

My people, make una no gree make dem kill una with bad healthcare. If your PHC no dey work well, make noise! Write petition, organize peaceful protest, use social media drag dem.

Health na human right, no be privilege. We no supposed dey beg government to give us functional healthcare.

Until we see real change for these PHCs, make everybody dey careful. If you get emergency wey the local PHC no fit handle, no waste time - find way reach general hospital or better private clinic.

Our investigation go continue. We go dey monitor these PHCs and report any improvement or further deterioration. Because e be like say na only noise dey make government act for this country.

Stay strong, Nigeria. Better days must come!