Tungan Habu is a rural community in Madara ward of Kontagora Local Government Area of Niger State. The community has a Primary Health Centre (PHC) that serves more than 10 other communities, however health workers at the PHC are grappling with so many facility-related challenges that its hampering their ability to effectively do their job.
According to Maimuna Audi, the officer in charge of the facility, the PHC has never had a functional labor room, making delivery impossible. “We follow women who live close by to their houses to take delivery. Those that are live far away either deliver without help or are taken to Kontagora,” she said. Audi added that Tungan Habu PHC has never had a source of water supply, the toilets are broken down, there is no source of power supply and the building which houses the PHC is dilapidated. For Audi, the worst challenge is the constant stock out of essential medications which the Kontagora LGA allow to go on for longer than is necessary.
Musa Muhammadu, community leader of Tunga Habu narrated that the health facility is not able to cater for the healthcare needs of his and other communities. According to him, women don’t bother to access antenatal services at the facility since they are often met with the stock out of routine medications. He however appreciated the health workers for trying their best to provide care, especially by following pregnant women to their houses to take delivery.
A PHC must be able to provide quality maternal services. A situation where a PHC cannot provide the services it was created for is an alarming one as it denies the people in that community access to a service that is their fundamental right. To right this wrong, Tungan Habu community is asking for the following:
- A total rehabilitation of the health facility
- Build and equip a labor room in the PHC
- Ensure constant provision of essential drugs to the PHC
- Provide water and electricity to the PHC
- Renovate all the toilets in the PHC