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Ayade declares operation 'no bad health centre' in C'River, to complete repairs in 3days

Director General of the state Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Betta Edu inspecting one of the bad health centres to be repaired.

By Akpan Etukudoh Asare

All identified primary health centres in Cross River state which are in very terrible state are now to be refurbished within 72 hours, the Director General of the state Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Betta Edu has confirmed in Calabar.

She told journalists that the state governor has given her the charge and backing to move into all nooks and crannies of the hinterlands and ensure that all such health posts are immediately made to be functional.

Members of the public living in such remotest areas of the state whose primary health centres went terribly bad were encouraged to draw the attention of the agency.

The agency therefore runs a slogan, which says ” Identify any terribly dysfunctional primary health centre, we fix it in 3 days.  We have the fund.”

As would be expected, many of such worst facilities have been brought to the knowledge of the agency in the remotest communities.

One of such was identified was a completely dilapidated  facility in a community in Odukpano LGA, called Iboho Ito South clan Eburitu where everything about it was in such despicable state yet one or two persons were still drawing salaries from the state government.

The Ito  health post was adjudged the worst primary health centre out of all the identified ones. It was more or less abandoned. The furniture and fixtures were all damaged and forgotten

The natives only see the structure which was overwhelmed by wild weeds, dangerous reptiles and rodents as a reminder that there once existed a health post in their community.

Commenting about the state of the health post, a member of the community, Mr Maurice Effiom said the facility was in a very bad state and also vulnerable to assorted attacks not only by criminals but by possible contact with diseases and dangerous animals.

He was happy that the situation has now attracted the attention of the state government to come to their aid which would mean that they will not be exposed to unnecessary risks of travelling by water for hours to nearby towns to see doctors.

60 year old Madam Atim Andem, a local trader in the village, said she was very happy that the governor has sent his people to come and fix their hospital.

The report about the dilapidates state of the health facility literarily forced the industrious director general herself to embark on a 5 hour canoe journey to assess the needs and importantly to revitalise the hospital for the use of the locals who had resorted to the services of herbalists or travel very long distances by canoe to access medical care.

Hear Edu, “The project initiated by the Governor to fix the weakest link in the health sector is deeply people oriented and rooted because the large community across the river in Odukpani that have to go to other state to access health care will soon have their health center fixed and equipped to offer quality health services. They will also have their youths gainfully engaged and paid to work at the center and make it functional again”. 

Edu reiterated the commitment to revitalize PHC which will take services to  all Cross Riverians, especially those in areas tagged ‘hard to reach’. 

Addressing members of the community, Edu expressed  displeasure over the infrastructural decay of the facility, and assured the community to complete the revitalisation of the facility in record time for their use.

“We are determined to take this challenge to the ends of the state”, she vowed.

Earlier speaking, a health worker in the facility identified as Mrs. Nkoyo Ntero Eyibo while welcoming the DG, expressed her happiness for the visit. She said, the facility has attendance of over 300 registered persons while over 420 under five children were given vitamin A during the recently concluded Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week. Mrs. Eyibo later conducted the DG round the facility, showing her leaking roofs, collapsed wards,  ceilings and damaged woods as well as the poorly ventilated room which she has converted to delivery room. She said there is a decline in the number of women giving birth at the facility. This she attributed to the poor infrastructure of the facility.

Also speaking, the community Youth Leader, Eyibo Daniel expressed optimism for the  successful renovation of the health facility, having seen the magnitude of projects.
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