Some stakeholders in the health and education sectors have lamented the poor state of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and Schools in Communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
They were brought together by the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), a non-governmental organisation in Abuja, to brainstorm on possible ways service delivery could be improved within the FCT.
This was following some mind-boggling reports by the PPDC’s monitors, of poorly funded PHCs and schools in FCT communities.
The PPDC’s monitors visited Junior Secondary Schools and Primary Healthcare Centres in Dutse Alhaji, Gwarinpa, Drumi, Kuje, Abaji amongst others.
Presentating the report of her findings, one of the monitors, Manga Julienne Esther, who covered Junior Secondary School and Primary Healthcare Centre in Dutse Alhaji said, the healthcare centre has no beds, no mosquito nets, no electricity, no functional toilet, no drugs and others.
She said, the school was no different, saying that the school has no windows, no doors, no toilet – teachers and students practice open defecation, no desks, no books and others.
Corroborating her findings, the Program Director, Sam Empowerment Foundation, Ms Kiema Ogunlana, who was one of the monitors within Gwarinpa, said, the Primary Healthcare Centre also lacked some amenities.
Ogunlana visited two projects, which were the Primary Healthcare Hospital, and the Junior Secondary School, all in Gwarinpa.
She said, the healthcare was short-staffed, no laboratory and no oxygen found in the facility.
She, however said, the hospital was newly built and the community was in synergy with the hospital.
She urged the government, particularly, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to bring a sensitisation program to the community to curtail drug abuse in the area.
On what should be done to improve service delivery in the communities, a Director in the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Sorji Taiwo said, a total sum of N120million would be required to build a single Primary Healthcare Centre in a Community.
He therefore, advised area council chairmen and National Assembly members who are interested in building a standard PHCs to budget nothing less than N120million.
“We had Primary Health Center, PHC summit and we decided that all PHC in Nigeria are standardised. We are trying to tell the legislators, instead of budgeting for a PHC facility at 40million.
“A budget for a full fledged PHC is about 120 million with facilities such as solar, water/borehole and a staff quarters because we can’t afford to have facilities without a quarters.
“So if you want to build for your community this is the amount you should budget for. To the community members hold your representatives accountable because you have the right to and if you don’t they will do what the want”, he said.
Earlier, the Program Manager, PPDC, Ms Margaret Lawrence said, the program provided insights on how best to participate and take actions to improve the quality of projects delivered within the FCT communities.
“This engagement will provide insights on how best to participate and take actions to improve the quality of projects delivered within communities.
“It is to also know how we can leverage social platforms, positions, civic rights, and actions to improve service delivery within the Area councils”, she said.
