How Lack of PHC Results In Avoidable Deaths Among Pregnant Women in Kaduna Villages
(Major road to Chukula)
(Natives at dilapidated PHC)
Though pregnancy should be a thing of joy, but here, whenever this happens, the family have to depend on traditional herbs better known in medical parlance as tradomedic, experienced old women and prayer until their wives, mothers, sisters or daughters put to bed.
Besides lack of healthcare facilities and skilled health worker in the community, the road from nearby major town called Kubacha is not motorable.
Only motorcycles are able to manoeuvre the rough, rocky and slippery route at a minimum cost of N2,000 to-and-fro Chukula to where a Missionary Hospital is located.
Many of the reproductive age women lament the high cost of bike fare due to limited cash flow.
The imagery of a woman in child labour being conveyed on a motorcycle to such a long distance for delivery calls for serious concern from relevant authorities and kind-spirited individuals.
Distance apart, the low patronage of mainstream health facilities may also be due to the quality of services rendered by the medical staff at all levels of the healthcare system in the state – Children and Women’s Rights in Nigeria: A Wake-up Call (Situation Assessment and Analysis 2001).
Patients often complain of discourteous staff, long waiting hours due to under staffing and the frequent non availability of essential drugs at the facilities.
Traditional Head, Chukula, Chief Paul Adrha told this correspondent that, taking a sick person to the nearest hospital is a serious problem to community most especially pregnant women. He added that some time the sick person died along the road because of inaccessibility.
“We have other villages here. These other villages, Nkojo, Kusam 3, Kusam 4, were equally benefiting from the PHC in those days when it was working. So you can see what it means to have one in Chukula which serves as the centre for others.
“Talking about the old PHC which is no longer habitable, I’m ready to work with people from other villages. People that share in my dream of uplifting our people. I want to work with anybody that want our progress whether they come from the community or elsewhere and not those that will bring problems for us.
“So, what I’m saying in fewer words is that, we need help. We need functional PHC around here where it will take our daughters, wives, sisters and mothers just a few minutes to access and we are open to partnership that can make that happen”, he added.
Another traditional leader in the area, Luka Tukurah confirmed that, “there is no nearby hospital except Saint Michael Clinic which is a branch of Saint Gerald Hospital in the State capital, located in far away Ungwa Jakada, an approximately two hours journey from here.
“We are a community that value lives. That was why we put the old facility in place. But unfortunately, it collapse due to lack of proper maintenance.
“We are not finding it easy at all to move from one place to the other especially when one is ill. Sometimes, you have to disembark from motorcycle especially when but rains.
“We have been like this for years. We have had cases whereby sick persons died on transit. You can see what you have experienced on your way coming. You can imagine what it would look like if you were to be a woman with pregnancy.
“We need help here. We need medical intervention to start with. There is no toilet. People deficate in the bush. And when it rains, it washes the excreta into rivers which are the major sources of water.”
Also speaking, Malachi Galadima, reiterated the efforts of his people to own PHC and the expectations that, the state government would take it up. He was of the view that, the health of every citizen of the state should be of great concern to the state government no matter the distance.
He said, “we are aware that, the health status of any community is very important because it will show the international community the seriousness of such society.”
Narrating her ordeal, 39 years old mother of three simply identified as Mama Israel told this correspondent that, the issue of climbing and riding on motorcycles during pregnancy was one too many, especially, during the first trimester.
“What do we do. This is our ancestral home. I got married seven years ago though from another village. But I lost my first pregnancy to the bad road. But thank God, I got used to the system and I now have three children.
“I did not give birth to any of them in hospital because of my previous experience. We have experienced old women who do assist us with herbs until delivery. But I would have used hospital if we have one within our community or somewhere trekable.
“I was told about the one the community people built. But as at the time I was brought here, it was already in bad shape. Please help us to talk to government or anyone that can help us with healthcare facility here. So, we can say we are part of Kaduna State and we are Nigerians”, she yelled.
A nurse who preferred anonymity because she was not authorised to speak to the press shared her experience with regard to provision of healthcare services to people in the grassroots and some of the immediate and remote reasons , many health workers decline to go to some communities to work.
“I am a nurse. An experienced one with over 27 years in active practice. I started as traditional birth attendant (TBA) in a town called Kubacha not too far from Chukula. Along the line, I got employed by the state government. I have since upgraded my qualifications by attending nursing school.
“See, it is not as if some of us deliberately refused to go to some places after deployment. Its sometimes beyond us. You spent all your earning transporting yourself from where you live to where you work daily.
“For example, in the village you went, you can see the settings yourself. Nowhere to sleep. It is just recently that the government was building quarters around some comprehensive PHCs so two or more health workers posted there can have where they can put up.
“Apart from that, sometimes your security too is not guaranteed. We have instances where colleagues have been robbed and even raped on lonely path. I’m not saying this happened in Chukula, but it is part of experience.
“Though I am not speaking for government, what I think can be done to save some of our pregnant women is for the sons and daughters of these remote communities to get professional qualifications so they can possibly work within.
“I have also seen a situation where a lady went to nursing with intention of going back to her community to work. Fortunately for her, she was employed by the State government and posted to the community. But in less than a year, she got married and her husband moved her to far away Enugu state.
“But even at that, many of them will still want to be in town where they can enjoy basic amenities such as communication network, electricity and all that. This, of course, has led to over concentration of health workers on towns and cities why only few are in grassroots,” she hinted.
State Government’s reaction
Reacting to the plight of the people of Chukula and other emerging communities, Commissioner, Kaduna State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Dogo said, the state government under the present administration is committed to improving the health of the people in Kaduna State.
The Commissioner who was the Permanent Secretary in the ministry before his present appointment as Commissioner three years ago by Governor Nasir El-Rufai , added that, the health sector is undergoing a reform to capture every group of individuals in the state.
To him, “when this administration came in three years ago, it saw the need the to do series of intervention in the health sector. About 1,000 frontline health workers were employed between 2016 and 2017 and were evenly deployed to provide healthcare services to our people. That was because, there was no major recruitment in the sector for more than ten years. And some have retired, some have resigned and some were dead.
“As we speak, we have increased budget for health. The state government has also giving us the opportunity to recruit about 3,000 additional health workers which include community health workers, environmentalists, pharmacists among others.
“All these are in addition to other interventions that are ongoing simultaneously. We are currently renovating 255 PHCs across the 255 political wards. Some of them are completed and handed over, some are completed while some are still ongoing.”
In his own view, Director, Primary Health Care, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KADPHCDA), Doctor Neyu Iliyasu, also affirmed the earlier position of the commissioner that, the state government was increasing budgetary allocation for health.
He queried whether the people of Chukula have written to the authority especially, their local government about their plight specially now that the state government had asked the agency to investigate such for action.
“23 medical doctors have just been posted to each of the LGAs. In each ward, there is PHC with right equipment. They are also deploying staff to ensure these PHCs work round the clock.
“Apart from these centres, there are other clinics attached to each of the PHCs .There are at least, six primary healthcare clinics attached. The essence is that, unlike before, each PHC use to provide service within about five kilometers radius.
“Then, the places where this did not reach, they enjoy what we call outreach. Health workers from the existing facilities would reach out to these hard-to-reach communities at least once in a month.
“But now, the Governor said, five kilometers is not acceptable because its too far. He asked that, it should be reduced to two kilometers. So, if this type of place do not have facility for now and they report, we will ensure it is captured in the map for outreach, at least.
“Let me quickly add that, we are working towards universal health. That was why the governor is working hard to ensure that by December 2018, the health insurance contributory system takes off.
“The development will make more funds available to healthcare services thereby making those who can hitherto, unable to afford the services can then be able to do so. I hope the December target becomes a reality so the children, pregnant women and the aged (60 years and above) can be well taken care off.”Natives tell their story
Though pregnancy should be a thing of joy, but here, whenever this happens, the family have to depend on traditional herbs better known in medical parlance as tradomedic, experienced old women and prayer until their wives, mothers, sisters or daughters put to bed.
Besides lack of healthcare facilities and skilled health worker in the community, the road from nearby major town called Kubacha is not motorable.
Only motorcycles are able to manoeuvre the rough, rocky and slippery route at a minimum cost of N2,000 to-and-fro Chukula to where a Missionary Hospital is located.
Many of the reproductive age women lament the high cost of bike fare due to limited cash flow.
The imagery of a woman in child labour being conveyed on a motorcycle to such a long distance for delivery calls for serious concern from relevant authorities and kind-spirited individuals.
Distance apart, the low patronage of mainstream health facilities may also be due to the quality of services rendered by the medical staff at all levels of the healthcare system in the state – Children and Women’s Rights in Nigeria: A Wake-up Call (Situation Assessment and Analysis 2001).
Patients often complain of discourteous staff, long waiting hours due to under staffing and the frequent non availability of essential drugs at the facilities.
Traditional Head, Chukula, Chief Paul Adrha told this correspondent that, taking a sick person to the nearest hospital is a serious problem to community most especially pregnant women. He added that some time the sick person died along the road because of inaccessibility.
“We have other villages here. These other villages, Nkojo, Kusam 3, Kusam 4, were equally benefiting from the PHC in those days when it was working. So you can see what it means to have one in Chukula which serves as the centre for others.
“Talking about the old PHC which is no longer habitable, I’m ready to work with people from other villages. People that share in my dream of uplifting our people. I want to work with anybody that want our progress whether they come from the community or elsewhere and not those that will bring problems for us.
“So, what I’m saying in fewer words is that, we need help. We need functional PHC around here where it will take our daughters, wives, sisters and mothers just a few minutes to access and we are open to partnership that can make that happen”, he added.
Another traditional leader in the area, Luka Tukurah confirmed that, “there is no nearby hospital except Saint Michael Clinic which is a branch of Saint Gerald Hospital in the State capital, located in far away Ungwa Jakada, an approximately two hours journey from here.
“We are a community that value lives. That was why we put the old facility in place. But unfortunately, it collapse due to lack of proper maintenance.
“We are not finding it easy at all to move from one place to the other especially when one is ill. Sometimes, you have to disembark from motorcycle especially when but rains.
“We have been like this for years. We have had cases whereby sick persons died on transit. You can see what you have experienced on your way coming. You can imagine what it would look like if you were to be a woman with pregnancy.
“We need help here. We need medical intervention to start with. There is no toilet. People deficate in the bush. And when it rains, it washes the excreta into rivers which are the major sources of water.”
Also speaking, Malachi Galadima, reiterated the efforts of his people to own PHC and the expectations that, the state government would take it up. He was of the view that, the health of every citizen of the state should be of great concern to the state government no matter the distance.
He said, “we are aware that, the health status of any community is very important because it will show the international community the seriousness of such society.”
Narrating her ordeal, 39 years old mother of three simply identified as Mama Israel told this correspondent that, the issue of climbing and riding on motorcycles during pregnancy was one too many, especially, during the first trimester.
“What do we do. This is our ancestral home. I got married seven years ago though from another village. But I lost my first pregnancy to the bad road. But thank God, I got used to the system and I now have three children.
“I did not give birth to any of them in hospital because of my previous experience. We have experienced old women who do assist us with herbs until delivery. But I would have used hospital if we have one within our community or somewhere trekable.
“I was told about the one the community people built. But as at the time I was brought here, it was already in bad shape. Please help us to talk to government or anyone that can help us with healthcare facility here. So, we can say we are part of Kaduna State and we are Nigerians”, she yelled.
A nurse who preferred anonymity because she was not authorised to speak to the press shared her experience with regard to provision of healthcare services to people in the grassroots and some of the immediate and remote reasons , many health workers decline to go to some communities to work.
“I am a nurse. An experienced one with over 27 years in active practice. I started as traditional birth attendant (TBA) in a town called Kubacha not too far from Chukula. Along the line, I got employed by the state government. I have since upgraded my qualifications by attending nursing school.
“See, it is not as if some of us deliberately refused to go to some places after deployment. Its sometimes beyond us. You spent all your earning transporting yourself from where you live to where you work daily.
“For example, in the village you went, you can see the settings yourself. Nowhere to sleep. It is just recently that the government was building quarters around some comprehensive PHCs so two or more health workers posted there can have where they can put up.
“Apart from that, sometimes your security too is not guaranteed. We have instances where colleagues have been robbed and even raped on lonely path. I’m not saying this happened in Chukula, but it is part of experience.
“Though I am not speaking for government, what I think can be done to save some of our pregnant women is for the sons and daughters of these remote communities to get professional qualifications so they can possibly work within.
“I have also seen a situation where a lady went to nursing with intention of going back to her community to work. Fortunately for her, she was employed by the State government and posted to the community. But in less than a year, she got married and her husband moved her to far away Enugu state.
“But even at that, many of them will still want to be in town where they can enjoy basic amenities such as communication network, electricity and all that. This, of course, has led to over concentration of health workers on towns and cities why only few are in grassroots,” she hinted.
State Government’s reaction
Reacting to the plight of the people of Chukula and other emerging communities, Commissioner, Kaduna State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Dogo said, the state government under the present administration is committed to improving the health of the people in Kaduna State.
The Commissioner who was the Permanent Secretary in the ministry before his present appointment as Commissioner three years ago by Governor Nasir El-Rufai , added that, the health sector is undergoing a reform to capture every group of individuals in the state.
To him, “when this administration came in three years ago, it saw the need the to do series of intervention in the health sector. About 1,000 frontline health workers were employed between 2016 and 2017 and were evenly deployed to provide healthcare services to our people. That was because, there was no major recruitment in the sector for more than ten years. And some have retired, some have resigned and some were dead.
“As we speak, we have increased budget for health. The state government has also giving us the opportunity to recruit about 3,000 additional health workers which include community health workers, environmentalists, pharmacists among others.
“All these are in addition to other interventions that are ongoing simultaneously. We are currently renovating 255 PHCs across the 255 political wards. Some of them are completed and handed over, some are completed while some are still ongoing.”
In his own view, Director, Primary Health Care, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KADPHCDA), Doctor Neyu Iliyasu, also affirmed the earlier position of the commissioner that, the state government was increasing budgetary allocation for health.
He queried whether the people of Chukula have written to the authority especially, their local government about their plight specially now that the state government had asked the agency to investigate such for action.
“23 medical doctors have just been posted to each of the LGAs. In each ward, there is PHC with right equipment. They are also deploying staff to ensure these PHCs work round the clock.
“Apart from these centres, there are other clinics attached to each of the PHCs .There are at least, six primary healthcare clinics attached. The essence is that, unlike before, each PHC use to provide service within about five kilometers radius.
“Then, the places where this did not reach, they enjoy what we call outreach. Health workers from the existing facilities would reach out to these hard-to-reach communities at least once in a month.
“But now, the Governor said, five kilometers is not acceptable because its too far. He asked that, it should be reduced to two kilometers. So, if this type of place do not have facility for now and they report, we will ensure it is captured in the map for outreach, at least.
“Let me quickly add that, we are working towards universal health. That was why the governor is working hard to ensure that by December 2018, the health insurance contributory system takes off.
“The development will make more funds available to healthcare services thereby making those who can hitherto, unable to afford the services can then be able to do so. I hope the December target becomes a reality so the children, pregnant women and the aged (60 years and above) can be well taken care off.”
The imagery of a woman in child labour being conveyed on a motorcycle to such a long distance for delivery calls for serious concern from relevant authorities and kind-spirited individuals.
Distance apart, the low patronage of mainstream health facilities may also be due to the quality of services rendered by the medical staff at all levels of the healthcare system in the state – Children and Women’s Rights in Nigeria: A Wake-up Call (Situation Assessment and Analysis 2001).
Patients often complain of discourteous staff, long waiting hours due to under staffing and the frequent non availability of essential drugs at the facilities.
Traditional Head, Chukula, Chief Paul Adrha told this correspondent that, taking a sick person to the nearest hospital is a serious problem to community most especially pregnant women. He added that some time the sick person died along the road because of inaccessibility.
“We have other villages here. These other villages, Nkojo, Kusam 3, Kusam 4, were equally benefiting from the PHC in those days when it was working. So you can see what it means to have one in Chukula which serves as the centre for others.
“Talking about the old PHC which is no longer habitable, I’m ready to work with people from other villages. People that share in my dream of uplifting our people. I want to work with anybody that want our progress whether they come from the community or elsewhere and not those that will bring problems for us.
“So, what I’m saying in fewer words is that, we need help. We need functional PHC around here where it will take our daughters, wives, sisters and mothers just a few minutes to access and we are open to partnership that can make that happen”, he added.
Another traditional leader in the area, Luka Tukurah confirmed that, “there is no nearby hospital except Saint Michael Clinic which is a branch of Saint Gerald Hospital in the State capital, located in far away Ungwa Jakada, an approximately two hours journey from here.
“We are a community that value lives. That was why we put the old facility in place. But unfortunately, it collapse due to lack of proper maintenance.
“We are not finding it easy at all to move from one place to the other especially when one is ill. Sometimes, you have to disembark from motorcycle especially when but rains.
“We have been like this for years. We have had cases whereby sick persons died on transit. You can see what you have experienced on your way coming. You can imagine what it would look like if you were to be a woman with pregnancy.
“We need help here. We need medical intervention to start with. There is no toilet. People deficate in the bush. And when it rains, it washes the excreta into rivers which are the major sources of water.”
Also speaking, Malachi Galadima, reiterated the efforts of his people to own PHC and the expectations that, the state government would take it up. He was of the view that, the health of every citizen of the state should be of great concern to the state government no matter the distance.
He said, “we are aware that, the health status of any community is very important because it will show the international community the seriousness of such society.”
Narrating her ordeal, 39 years old mother of three simply identified as Mama Israel told this correspondent that, the issue of climbing and riding on motorcycles during pregnancy was one too many, especially, during the first trimester.
“What do we do. This is our ancestral home. I got married seven years ago though from another village. But I lost my first pregnancy to the bad road. But thank God, I got used to the system and I now have three children.
“I did not give birth to any of them in hospital because of my previous experience. We have experienced old women who do assist us with herbs until delivery. But I would have used hospital if we have one within our community or somewhere trekable.
“I was told about the one the community people built. But as at the time I was brought here, it was already in bad shape. Please help us to talk to government or anyone that can help us with healthcare facility here. So, we can say we are part of Kaduna State and we are Nigerians”, she yelled.
A nurse who preferred anonymity because she was not authorised to speak to the press shared her experience with regard to provision of healthcare services to people in the grassroots and some of the immediate and remote reasons , many health workers decline to go to some communities to work.
“I am a nurse. An experienced one with over 27 years in active practice. I started as traditional birth attendant (TBA) in a town called Kubacha not too far from Chukula. Along the line, I got employed by the state government. I have since upgraded my qualifications by attending nursing school.
“See, it is not as if some of us deliberately refused to go to some places after deployment. Its sometimes beyond us. You spent all your earning transporting yourself from where you live to where you work daily.
“For example, in the village you went, you can see the settings yourself. Nowhere to sleep. It is just recently that the government was building quarters around some comprehensive PHCs so two or more health workers posted there can have where they can put up.
“Apart from that, sometimes your security too is not guaranteed. We have instances where colleagues have been robbed and even raped on lonely path. I’m not saying this happened in Chukula, but it is part of experience.
“Though I am not speaking for government, what I think can be done to save some of our pregnant women is for the sons and daughters of these remote communities to get professional qualifications so they can possibly work within.
“I have also seen a situation where a lady went to nursing with intention of going back to her community to work. Fortunately for her, she was employed by the State government and posted to the community. But in less than a year, she got married and her husband moved her to far away Enugu state.
“But even at that, many of them will still want to be in town where they can enjoy basic amenities such as communication network, electricity and all that. This, of course, has led to over concentration of health workers on towns and cities why only few are in grassroots,” she hinted.
State Government’s reaction
Reacting to the plight of the people of Chukula and other emerging communities, Commissioner, Kaduna State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Dogo said, the state government under the present administration is committed to improving the health of the people in Kaduna State.
The Commissioner who was the Permanent Secretary in the ministry before his present appointment as Commissioner three years ago by Governor Nasir El-Rufai , added that, the health sector is undergoing a reform to capture every group of individuals in the state.
To him, “when this administration came in three years ago, it saw the need the to do series of intervention in the health sector. About 1,000 frontline health workers were employed between 2016 and 2017 and were evenly deployed to provide healthcare services to our people. That was because, there was no major recruitment in the sector for more than ten years. And some have retired, some have resigned and some were dead.
“As we speak, we have increased budget for health. The state government has also giving us the opportunity to recruit about 3,000 additional health workers which include community health workers, environmentalists, pharmacists among others.
“All these are in addition to other interventions that are ongoing simultaneously. We are currently renovating 255 PHCs across the 255 political wards. Some of them are completed and handed over, some are completed while some are still ongoing.”
In his own view, Director, Primary Health Care, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KADPHCDA), Doctor Neyu Iliyasu, also affirmed the earlier position of the commissioner that, the state government was increasing budgetary allocation for health.
He queried whether the people of Chukula have written to the authority especially, their local government about their plight specially now that the state government had asked the agency to investigate such for action.
“23 medical doctors have just been posted to each of the LGAs. In each ward, there is PHC with right equipment. They are also deploying staff to ensure these PHCs work round the clock.
“Apart from these centres, there are other clinics attached to each of the PHCs .There are at least, six primary healthcare clinics attached. The essence is that, unlike before, each PHC use to provide service within about five kilometers radius.
“Then, the places where this did not reach, they enjoy what we call outreach. Health workers from the existing facilities would reach out to these hard-to-reach communities at least once in a month.
“But now, the Governor said, five kilometers is not acceptable because its too far. He asked that, it should be reduced to two kilometers. So, if this type of place do not have facility for now and they report, we will ensure it is captured in the map for outreach, at least.
“Let me quickly add that, we are working towards universal health. That was why the governor is working hard to ensure that by December 2018, the health insurance contributory system takes off.
“The development will make more funds available to healthcare services thereby making those who can hitherto, unable to afford the services can then be able to do so. I hope the December target becomes a reality so the children, pregnant women and the aged (60 years and above) can be well taken care off.”The imagery of a woman in child labour being conveyed on a motorcycle to such a long distance for delivery calls for serious concern from relevant authorities and kind-spirited individuals.
Distance apart, the low patronage of mainstream health facilities may also be due to the quality of services rendered by the medical staff at all levels of the healthcare system in the state – Children and Women’s Rights in Nigeria: A Wake-up Call (Situation Assessment and Analysis 2001).
Patients often complain of discourteous staff, long waiting hours due to under staffing and the frequent non availability of essential drugs at the facilities.
Traditional Head, Chukula, Chief Paul Adrha told this correspondent that, taking a sick person to the nearest hospital is a serious problem to community most especially pregnant women. He added that some time the sick person died along the road because of inaccessibility.
“We have other villages here. These other villages, Nkojo, Kusam 3, Kusam 4, were equally benefiting from the PHC in those days when it was working. So you can see what it means to have one in Chukula which serves as the centre for others.
“Talking about the old PHC which is no longer habitable, I’m ready to work with people from other villages. People that share in my dream of uplifting our people. I want to work with anybody that want our progress whether they come from the community or elsewhere and not those that will bring problems for us.
“So, what I’m saying in fewer words is that, we need help. We need functional PHC around here where it will take our daughters, wives, sisters and mothers just a few minutes to access and we are open to partnership that can make that happen”, he added.
Another traditional leader in the area, Luka Tukurah confirmed that, “there is no nearby hospital except Saint Michael Clinic which is a branch of Saint Gerald Hospital in the State capital, located in far away Ungwa Jakada, an approximately two hours journey from here.
“We are a community that value lives. That was why we put the old facility in place. But unfortunately, it collapse due to lack of proper maintenance.
“We are not finding it easy at all to move from one place to the other especially when one is ill. Sometimes, you have to disembark from motorcycle especially when but rains.
“We have been like this for years. We have had cases whereby sick persons died on transit. You can see what you have experienced on your way coming. You can imagine what it would look like if you were to be a woman with pregnancy.
“We need help here. We need medical intervention to start with. There is no toilet. People deficate in the bush. And when it rains, it washes the excreta into rivers which are the major sources of water.”
Also speaking, Malachi Galadima, reiterated the efforts of his people to own PHC and the expectations that, the state government would take it up. He was of the view that, the health of every citizen of the state should be of great concern to the state government no matter the distance.
He said, “we are aware that, the health status of any community is very important because it will show the international community the seriousness of such society.”
Narrating her ordeal, 39 years old mother of three simply identified as Mama Israel told this correspondent that, the issue of climbing and riding on motorcycles during pregnancy was one too many, especially, during the first trimester.
“What do we do. This is our ancestral home. I got married seven years ago though from another village. But I lost my first pregnancy to the bad road. But thank God, I got used to the system and I now have three children.
“I did not give birth to any of them in hospital because of my previous experience. We have experienced old women who do assist us with herbs until delivery. But I would have used hospital if we have one within our community or somewhere trekable.
“I was told about the one the community people built. But as at the time I was brought here, it was already in bad shape. Please help us to talk to government or anyone that can help us with healthcare facility here. So, we can say we are part of Kaduna State and we are Nigerians”, she yelled.
A nurse who preferred anonymity because she was not authorised to speak to the press shared her experience with regard to provision of healthcare services to people in the grassroots and some of the immediate and remote reasons , many health workers decline to go to some communities to work.
“I am a nurse. An experienced one with over 27 years in active practice. I started as traditional birth attendant (TBA) in a town called Kubacha not too far from Chukula. Along the line, I got employed by the state government. I have since upgraded my qualifications by attending nursing school.
“See, it is not as if some of us deliberately refused to go to some places after deployment. Its sometimes beyond us. You spent all your earning transporting yourself from where you live to where you work daily.
“For example, in the village you went, you can see the settings yourself. Nowhere to sleep. It is just recently that the government was building quarters around some comprehensive PHCs so two or more health workers posted there can have where they can put up.
“Apart from that, sometimes your security too is not guaranteed. We have instances where colleagues have been robbed and even raped on lonely path. I’m not saying this happened in Chukula, but it is part of experience.
“Though I am not speaking for government, what I think can be done to save some of our pregnant women is for the sons and daughters of these remote communities to get professional qualifications so they can possibly work within.
“I have also seen a situation where a lady went to nursing with intention of going back to her community to work. Fortunately for her, she was employed by the State government and posted to the community. But in less than a year, she got married and her husband moved her to far away Enugu state.
“But even at that, many of them will still want to be in town where they can enjoy basic amenities such as communication network, electricity and all that. This, of course, has led to over concentration of health workers on towns and cities why only few are in grassroots,” she hinted.
State Government’s reaction
Reacting to the plight of the people of Chukula and other emerging communities, Commissioner, Kaduna State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Dogo said, the state government under the present administration is committed to improving the health of the people in Kaduna State.
The Commissioner who was the Permanent Secretary in the ministry before his present appointment as Commissioner three years ago by Governor Nasir El-Rufai , added that, the health sector is undergoing a reform to capture every group of individuals in the state.
To him, “when this administration came in three years ago, it saw the need the to do series of intervention in the health sector. About 1,000 frontline health workers were employed between 2016 and 2017 and were evenly deployed to provide healthcare services to our people. That was because, there was no major recruitment in the sector for more than ten years. And some have retired, some have resigned and some were dead.
“As we speak, we have increased budget for health. The state government has also giving us the opportunity to recruit about 3,000 additional health workers which include community health workers, environmentalists, pharmacists among others.
“All these are in addition to other interventions that are ongoing simultaneously. We are currently renovating 255 PHCs across the 255 political wards. Some of them are completed and handed over, some are completed while some are still ongoing.”
In his own view, Director, Primary Health Care, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KADPHCDA), Doctor Neyu Iliyasu, also affirmed the earlier position of the commissioner that, the state government was increasing budgetary allocation for health.
He queried whether the people of Chukula have written to the authority especially, their local government about their plight specially now that the state government had asked the agency to investigate such for action.
“23 medical doctors have just been posted to each of the LGAs. In each ward, there is PHC with right equipment. They are also deploying staff to ensure these PHCs work round the clock.
“Apart from these centres, there are other clinics attached to each of the PHCs .There are at least, six primary healthcare clinics attached. The essence is that, unlike before, each PHC use to provide service within about five kilometers radius.
“Then, the places where this did not reach, they enjoy what we call outreach. Health workers from the existing facilities would reach out to these hard-to-reach communities at least once in a month.
“But now, the Governor said, five kilometers is not acceptable because its too far. He asked that, it should be reduced to two kilometers. So, if this type of place do not have facility for now and they report, we will ensure it is captured in the map for outreach, at least.
“Let me quickly add that, we are working towards universal health. That was why the governor is working hard to ensure that by December 2018, the health insurance contributory system takes off.
“The development will make more funds available to healthcare services thereby making those who can hitherto, unable to afford the services can then be able to do so. I hope the December target becomes a reality so the children, pregnant women and the aged (60 years and above) can be well taken care off.”
Traditional Head, Chukula, Chief Paul Adrha told this correspondent that, taking a sick person to the nearest hospital is a serious problem to community most especially pregnant women. He added that some time the sick person died along the road because of inaccessibility.
“We have other villages here. These other villages, Nkojo, Kusam 3, Kusam 4, were equally benefiting from the PHC in those days when it was working. So you can see what it means to have one in Chukula which serves as the centre for others.
“Talking about the old PHC which is no longer habitable, I’m ready to work with people from other villages. People that share in my dream of uplifting our people. I want to work with anybody that want our progress whether they come from the community or elsewhere and not those that will bring problems for us.
“So, what I’m saying in fewer words is that, we need help. We need functional PHC around here where it will take our daughters, wives, sisters and mothers just a few minutes to access and we are open to partnership that can make that happen”, he added.
Another traditional leader in the area, Luka Tukurah confirmed that, “there is no nearby hospital except Saint Michael Clinic which is a branch of Saint Gerald Hospital in the State capital, located in far away Ungwa Jakada, an approximately two hours journey from here.
“We are a community that value lives. That was why we put the old facility in place. But unfortunately, it collapse due to lack of proper maintenance.
“We are not finding it easy at all to move from one place to the other especially when one is ill. Sometimes, you have to disembark from motorcycle especially when but rains.
“We have been like this for years. We have had cases whereby sick persons died on transit. You can see what you have experienced on your way coming. You can imagine what it would look like if you were to be a woman with pregnancy.
“We need help here. We need medical intervention to start with. There is no toilet. People deficate in the bush. And when it rains, it washes the excreta into rivers which are the major sources of water.”
Also speaking, Malachi Galadima, reiterated the efforts of his people to own PHC and the expectations that, the state government would take it up. He was of the view that, the health of every citizen of the state should be of great concern to the state government no matter the distance.
He said, “we are aware that, the health status of any community is very important because it will show the international community the seriousness of such society.”
Narrating her ordeal, 39 years old mother of three simply identified as Mama Israel told this correspondent that, the issue of climbing and riding on motorcycles during pregnancy was one too many, especially, during the first trimester.
“What do we do. This is our ancestral home. I got married seven years ago though from another village. But I lost my first pregnancy to the bad road. But thank God, I got used to the system and I now have three children.
“I did not give birth to any of them in hospital because of my previous experience. We have experienced old women who do assist us with herbs until delivery. But I would have used hospital if we have one within our community or somewhere trekable.
“I was told about the one the community people built. But as at the time I was brought here, it was already in bad shape. Please help us to talk to government or anyone that can help us with healthcare facility here. So, we can say we are part of Kaduna State and we are Nigerians”, she yelled.
A nurse who preferred anonymity because she was not authorised to speak to the press shared her experience with regard to provision of healthcare services to people in the grassroots and some of the immediate and remote reasons , many health workers decline to go to some communities to work.
“I am a nurse. An experienced one with over 27 years in active practice. I started as traditional birth attendant (TBA) in a town called Kubacha not too far from Chukula. Along the line, I got employed by the state government. I have since upgraded my qualifications by attending nursing school.
“See, it is not as if some of us deliberately refused to go to some places after deployment. Its sometimes beyond us. You spent all your earning transporting yourself from where you live to where you work daily.
“For example, in the village you went, you can see the settings yourself. Nowhere to sleep. It is just recently that the government was building quarters around some comprehensive PHCs so two or more health workers posted there can have where they can put up.
“Apart from that, sometimes your security too is not guaranteed. We have instances where colleagues have been robbed and even raped on lonely path. I’m not saying this happened in Chukula, but it is part of experience.
“Though I am not speaking for government, what I think can be done to save some of our pregnant women is for the sons and daughters of these remote communities to get professional qualifications so they can possibly work within.
“I have also seen a situation where a lady went to nursing with intention of going back to her community to work. Fortunately for her, she was employed by the State government and posted to the community. But in less than a year, she got married and her husband moved her to far away Enugu state.
“But even at that, many of them will still want to be in town where they can enjoy basic amenities such as communication network, electricity and all that. This, of course, has led to over concentration of health workers on towns and cities why only few are in grassroots,” she hinted.
State Government’s reaction
Reacting to the plight of the people of Chukula and other emerging communities, Commissioner, Kaduna State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Dogo said, the state government under the present administration is committed to improving the health of the people in Kaduna State.
The Commissioner who was the Permanent Secretary in the ministry before his present appointment as Commissioner three years ago by Governor Nasir El-Rufai , added that, the health sector is undergoing a reform to capture every group of individuals in the state.
To him, “when this administration came in three years ago, it saw the need the to do series of intervention in the health sector. About 1,000 frontline health workers were employed between 2016 and 2017 and were evenly deployed to provide healthcare services to our people. That was because, there was no major recruitment in the sector for more than ten years. And some have retired, some have resigned and some were dead.
“As we speak, we have increased budget for health. The state government has also giving us the opportunity to recruit about 3,000 additional health workers which include community health workers, environmentalists, pharmacists among others.
“All these are in addition to other interventions that are ongoing simultaneously. We are currently renovating 255 PHCs across the 255 political wards. Some of them are completed and handed over, some are completed while some are still ongoing.”
In his own view, Director, Primary Health Care, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KADPHCDA), Doctor Neyu Iliyasu, also affirmed the earlier position of the commissioner that, the state government was increasing budgetary allocation for health.
He queried whether the people of Chukula have written to the authority especially, their local government about their plight specially now that the state government had asked the agency to investigate such for action.
“23 medical doctors have just been posted to each of the LGAs. In each ward, there is PHC with right equipment. They are also deploying staff to ensure these PHCs work round the clock.
“Apart from these centres, there are other clinics attached to each of the PHCs .There are at least, six primary healthcare clinics attached. The essence is that, unlike before, each PHC use to provide service within about five kilometers radius.
“Then, the places where this did not reach, they enjoy what we call outreach. Health workers from the existing facilities would reach out to these hard-to-reach communities at least once in a month.
“But now, the Governor said, five kilometers is not acceptable because its too far. He asked that, it should be reduced to two kilometers. So, if this type of place do not have facility for now and they report, we will ensure it is captured in the map for outreach, at least.
“Let me quickly add that, we are working towards universal health. That was why the governor is working hard to ensure that by December 2018, the health insurance contributory system takes off.
“The development will make more funds available to healthcare services thereby making those who can hitherto, unable to afford the services can then be able to do so. I hope the December target becomes a reality so the children, pregnant women and the aged (60 years and above) can be well taken care off.”
Sola Ojo
Though pregnancy should be a thing of joy, but here, whenever this happens, the family have to depend on traditional herbs better known in medical parlance as tradomedic, experienced old women and prayer until their wives, mothers, sisters or daughters put to bed.
Besides lack of healthcare facilities and skilled health worker in the community, the road from nearby major town called Kubacha is not motorable.
Only motorcycles are able to manoeuvre the rough, rocky and slippery route at a minimum cost of N2,000 to-and-fro Chukula to where a Missionary Hospital is located.
Many of the reproductive age women lament the high cost of bike fare due to limited cash flow.
The imagery of a woman in child labour being conveyed on a motorcycle to such a long distance for delivery calls for serious concern from relevant authorities and kind-spirited individuals.
Distance apart, the low patronage of mainstream health facilities may also be due to the quality of services rendered by the medical staff at all levels of the healthcare system in the state – Children and Women’s Rights in Nigeria: A Wake-up Call (Situation Assessment and Analysis 2001).
Patients often complain of discourteous staff, long waiting hours due to under staffing and the frequent non availability of essential drugs at the facilities.
Traditional Head, Chukula, Chief Paul Adrha told this correspondent that, taking a sick person to the nearest hospital is a serious problem to community most especially pregnant women. He added that some time the sick person died along the road because of inaccessibility.
“We have other villages here. These other villages, Nkojo, Kusam 3, Kusam 4, were equally benefiting from the PHC in those days when it was working. So you can see what it means to have one in Chukula which serves as the centre for others.
“Talking about the old PHC which is no longer habitable, I’m ready to work with people from other villages. People that share in my dream of uplifting our people. I want to work with anybody that want our progress whether they come from the community or elsewhere and not those that will bring problems for us.
“So, what I’m saying in fewer words is that, we need help. We need functional PHC around here where it will take our daughters, wives, sisters and mothers just a few minutes to access and we are open to partnership that can make that happen”, he added.
Another traditional leader in the area, Luka Tukurah confirmed that, “there is no nearby hospital except Saint Michael Clinic which is a branch of Saint Gerald Hospital in the State capital, located in far away Ungwa Jakada, an approximately two hours journey from here.
“We are a community that value lives. That was why we put the old facility in place. But unfortunately, it collapse due to lack of proper maintenance.
“We are not finding it easy at all to move from one place to the other especially when one is ill. Sometimes, you have to disembark from motorcycle especially when but rains.
“We have been like this for years. We have had cases whereby sick persons died on transit. You can see what you have experienced on your way coming. You can imagine what it would look like if you were to be a woman with pregnancy.
“We need help here. We need medical intervention to start with. There is no toilet. People deficate in the bush. And when it rains, it washes the excreta into rivers which are the major sources of water.”
Also speaking, Malachi Galadima, reiterated the efforts of his people to own PHC and the expectations that, the state government would take it up. He was of the view that, the health of every citizen of the state should be of great concern to the state government no matter the distance.
He said, “we are aware that, the health status of any community is very important because it will show the international community the seriousness of such society.”
Narrating her ordeal, 39 years old mother of three simply identified as Mama Israel told this correspondent that, the issue of climbing and riding on motorcycles during pregnancy was one too many, especially, during the first trimester.
“What do we do. This is our ancestral home. I got married seven years ago though from another village. But I lost my first pregnancy to the bad road. But thank God, I got used to the system and I now have three children.
“I did not give birth to any of them in hospital because of my previous experience. We have experienced old women who do assist us with herbs until delivery. But I would have used hospital if we have one within our community or somewhere trekable.
“I was told about the one the community people built. But as at the time I was brought here, it was already in bad shape. Please help us to talk to government or anyone that can help us with healthcare facility here. So, we can say we are part of Kaduna State and we are Nigerians”, she yelled.
A nurse who preferred anonymity because she was not authorised to speak to the press shared her experience with regard to provision of healthcare services to people in the grassroots and some of the immediate and remote reasons , many health workers decline to go to some communities to work.
“I am a nurse. An experienced one with over 27 years in active practice. I started as traditional birth attendant (TBA) in a town called Kubacha not too far from Chukula. Along the line, I got employed by the state government. I have since upgraded my qualifications by attending nursing school.
“See, it is not as if some of us deliberately refused to go to some places after deployment. Its sometimes beyond us. You spent all your earning transporting yourself from where you live to where you work daily.
“For example, in the village you went, you can see the settings yourself. Nowhere to sleep. It is just recently that the government was building quarters around some comprehensive PHCs so two or more health workers posted there can have where they can put up.
“Apart from that, sometimes your security too is not guaranteed. We have instances where colleagues have been robbed and even raped on lonely path. I’m not saying this happened in Chukula, but it is part of experience.
“Though I am not speaking for government, what I think can be done to save some of our pregnant women is for the sons and daughters of these remote communities to get professional qualifications so they can possibly work within.
“I have also seen a situation where a lady went to nursing with intention of going back to her community to work. Fortunately for her, she was employed by the State government and posted to the community. But in less than a year, she got married and her husband moved her to far away Enugu state.
“But even at that, many of them will still want to be in town where they can enjoy basic amenities such as communication network, electricity and all that. This, of course, has led to over concentration of health workers on towns and cities why only few are in grassroots,” she hinted.
State Government’s reaction
Reacting to the plight of the people of Chukula and other emerging communities, Commissioner, Kaduna State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Dogo said, the state government under the present administration is committed to improving the health of the people in Kaduna State.
The Commissioner who was the Permanent Secretary in the ministry before his present appointment as Commissioner three years ago by Governor Nasir El-Rufai , added that, the health sector is undergoing a reform to capture every group of individuals in the state.
To him, “when this administration came in three years ago, it saw the need the to do series of intervention in the health sector. About 1,000 frontline health workers were employed between 2016 and 2017 and were evenly deployed to provide healthcare services to our people. That was because, there was no major recruitment in the sector for more than ten years. And some have retired, some have resigned and some were dead.
“As we speak, we have increased budget for health. The state government has also giving us the opportunity to recruit about 3,000 additional health workers which include community health workers, environmentalists, pharmacists among others.
“All these are in addition to other interventions that are ongoing simultaneously. We are currently renovating 255 PHCs across the 255 political wards. Some of them are completed and handed over, some are completed while some are still ongoing.”
In his own view, Director, Primary Health Care, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KADPHCDA), Doctor Neyu Iliyasu, also affirmed the earlier position of the commissioner that, the state government was increasing budgetary allocation for health.
He queried whether the people of Chukula have written to the authority especially, their local government about their plight specially now that the state government had asked the agency to investigate such for action.
“23 medical doctors have just been posted to each of the LGAs. In each ward, there is PHC with right equipment. They are also deploying staff to ensure these PHCs work round the clock.
“Apart from these centres, there are other clinics attached to each of the PHCs .There are at least, six primary healthcare clinics attached. The essence is that, unlike before, each PHC use to provide service within about five kilometers radius.
“Then, the places where this did not reach, they enjoy what we call outreach. Health workers from the existing facilities would reach out to these hard-to-reach communities at least once in a month.
“But now, the Governor said, five kilometers is not acceptable because its too far. He asked that, it should be reduced to two kilometers. So, if this type of place do not have facility for now and they report, we will ensure it is captured in the map for outreach, at least.
“Let me quickly add that, we are working towards universal health. That was why the governor is working hard to ensure that by December 2018, the health insurance contributory system takes off.
“The development will make more funds available to healthcare services thereby making those who can hitherto, unable to afford the services can then be able to do so. I hope the December target becomes a reality so the children, pregnant women and the aged (60 years and above) can be well taken care off.”
The imagery of a woman in child labour being conveyed on a motorcycle to such a long distance for delivery calls for serious concern from relevant authorities and kind-spirited individuals.
Distance apart, the low patronage of mainstream health facilities may also be due to the quality of services rendered by the medical staff at all levels of the healthcare system in the state – Children and Women’s Rights in Nigeria: A Wake-up Call (Situation Assessment and Analysis 2001).
Patients often complain of discourteous staff, long waiting hours due to under staffing and the frequent non availability of essential drugs at the facilities.
Traditional Head, Chukula, Chief Paul Adrha told this correspondent that, taking a sick person to the nearest hospital is a serious problem to community most especially pregnant women. He added that some time the sick person died along the road because of inaccessibility.
“We have other villages here. These other villages, Nkojo, Kusam 3, Kusam 4, were equally benefiting from the PHC in those days when it was working. So you can see what it means to have one in Chukula which serves as the centre for others.
“Talking about the old PHC which is no longer habitable, I’m ready to work with people from other villages. People that share in my dream of uplifting our people. I want to work with anybody that want our progress whether they come from the community or elsewhere and not those that will bring problems for us.
“So, what I’m saying in fewer words is that, we need help. We need functional PHC around here where it will take our daughters, wives, sisters and mothers just a few minutes to access and we are open to partnership that can make that happen”, he added.
Another traditional leader in the area, Luka Tukurah confirmed that, “there is no nearby hospital except Saint Michael Clinic which is a branch of Saint Gerald Hospital in the State capital, located in far away Ungwa Jakada, an approximately two hours journey from here.
“We are a community that value lives. That was why we put the old facility in place. But unfortunately, it collapse due to lack of proper maintenance.
“We are not finding it easy at all to move from one place to the other especially when one is ill. Sometimes, you have to disembark from motorcycle especially when but rains.
“We have been like this for years. We have had cases whereby sick persons died on transit. You can see what you have experienced on your way coming. You can imagine what it would look like if you were to be a woman with pregnancy.
“We need help here. We need medical intervention to start with. There is no toilet. People deficate in the bush. And when it rains, it washes the excreta into rivers which are the major sources of water.”
Also speaking, Malachi Galadima, reiterated the efforts of his people to own PHC and the expectations that, the state government would take it up. He was of the view that, the health of every citizen of the state should be of great concern to the state government no matter the distance.
He said, “we are aware that, the health status of any community is very important because it will show the international community the seriousness of such society.”
Narrating her ordeal, 39 years old mother of three simply identified as Mama Israel told this correspondent that, the issue of climbing and riding on motorcycles during pregnancy was one too many, especially, during the first trimester.
“What do we do. This is our ancestral home. I got married seven years ago though from another village. But I lost my first pregnancy to the bad road. But thank God, I got used to the system and I now have three children.
“I did not give birth to any of them in hospital because of my previous experience. We have experienced old women who do assist us with herbs until delivery. But I would have used hospital if we have one within our community or somewhere trekable.
“I was told about the one the community people built. But as at the time I was brought here, it was already in bad shape. Please help us to talk to government or anyone that can help us with healthcare facility here. So, we can say we are part of Kaduna State and we are Nigerians”, she yelled.
A nurse who preferred anonymity because she was not authorised to speak to the press shared her experience with regard to provision of healthcare services to people in the grassroots and some of the immediate and remote reasons , many health workers decline to go to some communities to work.
“I am a nurse. An experienced one with over 27 years in active practice. I started as traditional birth attendant (TBA) in a town called Kubacha not too far from Chukula. Along the line, I got employed by the state government. I have since upgraded my qualifications by attending nursing school.
“See, it is not as if some of us deliberately refused to go to some places after deployment. Its sometimes beyond us. You spent all your earning transporting yourself from where you live to where you work daily.
“For example, in the village you went, you can see the settings yourself. Nowhere to sleep. It is just recently that the government was building quarters around some comprehensive PHCs so two or more health workers posted there can have where they can put up.
“Apart from that, sometimes your security too is not guaranteed. We have instances where colleagues have been robbed and even raped on lonely path. I’m not saying this happened in Chukula, but it is part of experience.
“Though I am not speaking for government, what I think can be done to save some of our pregnant women is for the sons and daughters of these remote communities to get professional qualifications so they can possibly work within.
“I have also seen a situation where a lady went to nursing with intention of going back to her community to work. Fortunately for her, she was employed by the State government and posted to the community. But in less than a year, she got married and her husband moved her to far away Enugu state.
“But even at that, many of them will still want to be in town where they can enjoy basic amenities such as communication network, electricity and all that. This, of course, has led to over concentration of health workers on towns and cities why only few are in grassroots,” she hinted.
State Government’s reaction
Reacting to the plight of the people of Chukula and other emerging communities, Commissioner, Kaduna State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Dogo said, the state government under the present administration is committed to improving the health of the people in Kaduna State.
The Commissioner who was the Permanent Secretary in the ministry before his present appointment as Commissioner three years ago by Governor Nasir El-Rufai , added that, the health sector is undergoing a reform to capture every group of individuals in the state.
To him, “when this administration came in three years ago, it saw the need the to do series of intervention in the health sector. About 1,000 frontline health workers were employed between 2016 and 2017 and were evenly deployed to provide healthcare services to our people. That was because, there was no major recruitment in the sector for more than ten years. And some have retired, some have resigned and some were dead.
“As we speak, we have increased budget for health. The state government has also giving us the opportunity to recruit about 3,000 additional health workers which include community health workers, environmentalists, pharmacists among others.
“All these are in addition to other interventions that are ongoing simultaneously. We are currently renovating 255 PHCs across the 255 political wards. Some of them are completed and handed over, some are completed while some are still ongoing.”
In his own view, Director, Primary Health Care, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KADPHCDA), Doctor Neyu Iliyasu, also affirmed the earlier position of the commissioner that, the state government was increasing budgetary allocation for health.
He queried whether the people of Chukula have written to the authority especially, their local government about their plight specially now that the state government had asked the agency to investigate such for action.
“23 medical doctors have just been posted to each of the LGAs. In each ward, there is PHC with right equipment. They are also deploying staff to ensure these PHCs work round the clock.
“Apart from these centres, there are other clinics attached to each of the PHCs .There are at least, six primary healthcare clinics attached. The essence is that, unlike before, each PHC use to provide service within about five kilometers radius.
“Then, the places where this did not reach, they enjoy what we call outreach. Health workers from the existing facilities would reach out to these hard-to-reach communities at least once in a month.
“But now, the Governor said, five kilometers is not acceptable because its too far. He asked that, it should be reduced to two kilometers. So, if this type of place do not have facility for now and they report, we will ensure it is captured in the map for outreach, at least.
“Let me quickly add that, we are working towards universal health. That was why the governor is working hard to ensure that by December 2018, the health insurance contributory system takes off.
“The development will make more funds available to healthcare services thereby making those who can hitherto, unable to afford the services can then be able to do so. I hope the December target becomes a reality so the children, pregnant women and the aged (60 years and above) can be well taken care off.”The imagery of a woman in child labour being conveyed on a motorcycle to such a long distance for delivery calls for serious concern from relevant authorities and kind-spirited individuals.
Distance apart, the low patronage of mainstream health facilities may also be due to the quality of services rendered by the medical staff at all levels of the healthcare system in the state – Children and Women’s Rights in Nigeria: A Wake-up Call (Situation Assessment and Analysis 2001).
Patients often complain of discourteous staff, long waiting hours due to under staffing and the frequent non availability of essential drugs at the facilities.
Traditional Head, Chukula, Chief Paul Adrha told this correspondent that, taking a sick person to the nearest hospital is a serious problem to community most especially pregnant women. He added that some time the sick person died along the road because of inaccessibility.
“We have other villages here. These other villages, Nkojo, Kusam 3, Kusam 4, were equally benefiting from the PHC in those days when it was working. So you can see what it means to have one in Chukula which serves as the centre for others.
“Talking about the old PHC which is no longer habitable, I’m ready to work with people from other villages. People that share in my dream of uplifting our people. I want to work with anybody that want our progress whether they come from the community or elsewhere and not those that will bring problems for us.
“So, what I’m saying in fewer words is that, we need help. We need functional PHC around here where it will take our daughters, wives, sisters and mothers just a few minutes to access and we are open to partnership that can make that happen”, he added.
Another traditional leader in the area, Luka Tukurah confirmed that, “there is no nearby hospital except Saint Michael Clinic which is a branch of Saint Gerald Hospital in the State capital, located in far away Ungwa Jakada, an approximately two hours journey from here.
“We are a community that value lives. That was why we put the old facility in place. But unfortunately, it collapse due to lack of proper maintenance.
“We are not finding it easy at all to move from one place to the other especially when one is ill. Sometimes, you have to disembark from motorcycle especially when but rains.
“We have been like this for years. We have had cases whereby sick persons died on transit. You can see what you have experienced on your way coming. You can imagine what it would look like if you were to be a woman with pregnancy.
“We need help here. We need medical intervention to start with. There is no toilet. People deficate in the bush. And when it rains, it washes the excreta into rivers which are the major sources of water.”
Also speaking, Malachi Galadima, reiterated the efforts of his people to own PHC and the expectations that, the state government would take it up. He was of the view that, the health of every citizen of the state should be of great concern to the state government no matter the distance.
He said, “we are aware that, the health status of any community is very important because it will show the international community the seriousness of such society.”
Narrating her ordeal, 39 years old mother of three simply identified as Mama Israel told this correspondent that, the issue of climbing and riding on motorcycles during pregnancy was one too many, especially, during the first trimester.
“What do we do. This is our ancestral home. I got married seven years ago though from another village. But I lost my first pregnancy to the bad road. But thank God, I got used to the system and I now have three children.
“I did not give birth to any of them in hospital because of my previous experience. We have experienced old women who do assist us with herbs until delivery. But I would have used hospital if we have one within our community or somewhere trekable.
“I was told about the one the community people built. But as at the time I was brought here, it was already in bad shape. Please help us to talk to government or anyone that can help us with healthcare facility here. So, we can say we are part of Kaduna State and we are Nigerians”, she yelled.
A nurse who preferred anonymity because she was not authorised to speak to the press shared her experience with regard to provision of healthcare services to people in the grassroots and some of the immediate and remote reasons , many health workers decline to go to some communities to work.
“I am a nurse. An experienced one with over 27 years in active practice. I started as traditional birth attendant (TBA) in a town called Kubacha not too far from Chukula. Along the line, I got employed by the state government. I have since upgraded my qualifications by attending nursing school.
“See, it is not as if some of us deliberately refused to go to some places after deployment. Its sometimes beyond us. You spent all your earning transporting yourself from where you live to where you work daily.
“For example, in the village you went, you can see the settings yourself. Nowhere to sleep. It is just recently that the government was building quarters around some comprehensive PHCs so two or more health workers posted there can have where they can put up.
“Apart from that, sometimes your security too is not guaranteed. We have instances where colleagues have been robbed and even raped on lonely path. I’m not saying this happened in Chukula, but it is part of experience.
“Though I am not speaking for government, what I think can be done to save some of our pregnant women is for the sons and daughters of these remote communities to get professional qualifications so they can possibly work within.
“I have also seen a situation where a lady went to nursing with intention of going back to her community to work. Fortunately for her, she was employed by the State government and posted to the community. But in less than a year, she got married and her husband moved her to far away Enugu state.
“But even at that, many of them will still want to be in town where they can enjoy basic amenities such as communication network, electricity and all that. This, of course, has led to over concentration of health workers on towns and cities why only few are in grassroots,” she hinted.
State Government’s reaction
Reacting to the plight of the people of Chukula and other emerging communities, Commissioner, Kaduna State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Dogo said, the state government under the present administration is committed to improving the health of the people in Kaduna State.
The Commissioner who was the Permanent Secretary in the ministry before his present appointment as Commissioner three years ago by Governor Nasir El-Rufai , added that, the health sector is undergoing a reform to capture every group of individuals in the state.
To him, “when this administration came in three years ago, it saw the need the to do series of intervention in the health sector. About 1,000 frontline health workers were employed between 2016 and 2017 and were evenly deployed to provide healthcare services to our people. That was because, there was no major recruitment in the sector for more than ten years. And some have retired, some have resigned and some were dead.
“As we speak, we have increased budget for health. The state government has also giving us the opportunity to recruit about 3,000 additional health workers which include community health workers, environmentalists, pharmacists among others.
“All these are in addition to other interventions that are ongoing simultaneously. We are currently renovating 255 PHCs across the 255 political wards. Some of them are completed and handed over, some are completed while some are still ongoing.”
In his own view, Director, Primary Health Care, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KADPHCDA), Doctor Neyu Iliyasu, also affirmed the earlier position of the commissioner that, the state government was increasing budgetary allocation for health.
He queried whether the people of Chukula have written to the authority especially, their local government about their plight specially now that the state government had asked the agency to investigate such for action.
“23 medical doctors have just been posted to each of the LGAs. In each ward, there is PHC with right equipment. They are also deploying staff to ensure these PHCs work round the clock.
“Apart from these centres, there are other clinics attached to each of the PHCs .There are at least, six primary healthcare clinics attached. The essence is that, unlike before, each PHC use to provide service within about five kilometers radius.
“Then, the places where this did not reach, they enjoy what we call outreach. Health workers from the existing facilities would reach out to these hard-to-reach communities at least once in a month.
“But now, the Governor said, five kilometers is not acceptable because its too far. He asked that, it should be reduced to two kilometers. So, if this type of place do not have facility for now and they report, we will ensure it is captured in the map for outreach, at least.
“Let me quickly add that, we are working towards universal health. That was why the governor is working hard to ensure that by December 2018, the health insurance contributory system takes off.
“The development will make more funds available to healthcare services thereby making those who can hitherto, unable to afford the services can then be able to do so. I hope the December target becomes a reality so the children, pregnant women and the aged (60 years and above) can be well taken care off.”
Traditional Head, Chukula, Chief Paul Adrha told this correspondent that, taking a sick person to the nearest hospital is a serious problem to community most especially pregnant women. He added that some time the sick person died along the road because of inaccessibility.
“We have other villages here. These other villages, Nkojo, Kusam 3, Kusam 4, were equally benefiting from the PHC in those days when it was working. So you can see what it means to have one in Chukula which serves as the centre for others.
“Talking about the old PHC which is no longer habitable, I’m ready to work with people from other villages. People that share in my dream of uplifting our people. I want to work with anybody that want our progress whether they come from the community or elsewhere and not those that will bring problems for us.
“So, what I’m saying in fewer words is that, we need help. We need functional PHC around here where it will take our daughters, wives, sisters and mothers just a few minutes to access and we are open to partnership that can make that happen”, he added.
Another traditional leader in the area, Luka Tukurah confirmed that, “there is no nearby hospital except Saint Michael Clinic which is a branch of Saint Gerald Hospital in the State capital, located in far away Ungwa Jakada, an approximately two hours journey from here.
“We are a community that value lives. That was why we put the old facility in place. But unfortunately, it collapse due to lack of proper maintenance.
“We are not finding it easy at all to move from one place to the other especially when one is ill. Sometimes, you have to disembark from motorcycle especially when but rains.
“We have been like this for years. We have had cases whereby sick persons died on transit. You can see what you have experienced on your way coming. You can imagine what it would look like if you were to be a woman with pregnancy.
“We need help here. We need medical intervention to start with. There is no toilet. People deficate in the bush. And when it rains, it washes the excreta into rivers which are the major sources of water.”
Also speaking, Malachi Galadima, reiterated the efforts of his people to own PHC and the expectations that, the state government would take it up. He was of the view that, the health of every citizen of the state should be of great concern to the state government no matter the distance.
He said, “we are aware that, the health status of any community is very important because it will show the international community the seriousness of such society.”
Narrating her ordeal, 39 years old mother of three simply identified as Mama Israel told this correspondent that, the issue of climbing and riding on motorcycles during pregnancy was one too many, especially, during the first trimester.
“What do we do. This is our ancestral home. I got married seven years ago though from another village. But I lost my first pregnancy to the bad road. But thank God, I got used to the system and I now have three children.
“I did not give birth to any of them in hospital because of my previous experience. We have experienced old women who do assist us with herbs until delivery. But I would have used hospital if we have one within our community or somewhere trekable.
“I was told about the one the community people built. But as at the time I was brought here, it was already in bad shape. Please help us to talk to government or anyone that can help us with healthcare facility here. So, we can say we are part of Kaduna State and we are Nigerians”, she yelled.
A nurse who preferred anonymity because she was not authorised to speak to the press shared her experience with regard to provision of healthcare services to people in the grassroots and some of the immediate and remote reasons , many health workers decline to go to some communities to work.
“I am a nurse. An experienced one with over 27 years in active practice. I started as traditional birth attendant (TBA) in a town called Kubacha not too far from Chukula. Along the line, I got employed by the state government. I have since upgraded my qualifications by attending nursing school.
“See, it is not as if some of us deliberately refused to go to some places after deployment. Its sometimes beyond us. You spent all your earning transporting yourself from where you live to where you work daily.
“For example, in the village you went, you can see the settings yourself. Nowhere to sleep. It is just recently that the government was building quarters around some comprehensive PHCs so two or more health workers posted there can have where they can put up.
“Apart from that, sometimes your security too is not guaranteed. We have instances where colleagues have been robbed and even raped on lonely path. I’m not saying this happened in Chukula, but it is part of experience.
“Though I am not speaking for government, what I think can be done to save some of our pregnant women is for the sons and daughters of these remote communities to get professional qualifications so they can possibly work within.
“I have also seen a situation where a lady went to nursing with intention of going back to her community to work. Fortunately for her, she was employed by the State government and posted to the community. But in less than a year, she got married and her husband moved her to far away Enugu state.
“But even at that, many of them will still want to be in town where they can enjoy basic amenities such as communication network, electricity and all that. This, of course, has led to over concentration of health workers on towns and cities why only few are in grassroots,” she hinted.
State Government’s reaction
Reacting to the plight of the people of Chukula and other emerging communities, Commissioner, Kaduna State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Dogo said, the state government under the present administration is committed to improving the health of the people in Kaduna State.
The Commissioner who was the Permanent Secretary in the ministry before his present appointment as Commissioner three years ago by Governor Nasir El-Rufai , added that, the health sector is undergoing a reform to capture every group of individuals in the state.
To him, “when this administration came in three years ago, it saw the need the to do series of intervention in the health sector. About 1,000 frontline health workers were employed between 2016 and 2017 and were evenly deployed to provide healthcare services to our people. That was because, there was no major recruitment in the sector for more than ten years. And some have retired, some have resigned and some were dead.
“As we speak, we have increased budget for health. The state government has also giving us the opportunity to recruit about 3,000 additional health workers which include community health workers, environmentalists, pharmacists among others.
“All these are in addition to other interventions that are ongoing simultaneously. We are currently renovating 255 PHCs across the 255 political wards. Some of them are completed and handed over, some are completed while some are still ongoing.”
In his own view, Director, Primary Health Care, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KADPHCDA), Doctor Neyu Iliyasu, also affirmed the earlier position of the commissioner that, the state government was increasing budgetary allocation for health.
He queried whether the people of Chukula have written to the authority especially, their local government about their plight specially now that the state government had asked the agency to investigate such for action.
“23 medical doctors have just been posted to each of the LGAs. In each ward, there is PHC with right equipment. They are also deploying staff to ensure these PHCs work round the clock.
“Apart from these centres, there are other clinics attached to each of the PHCs .There are at least, six primary healthcare clinics attached. The essence is that, unlike before, each PHC use to provide service within about five kilometers radius.
“Then, the places where this did not reach, they enjoy what we call outreach. Health workers from the existing facilities would reach out to these hard-to-reach communities at least once in a month.
“But now, the Governor said, five kilometers is not acceptable because its too far. He asked that, it should be reduced to two kilometers. So, if this type of place do not have facility for now and they report, we will ensure it is captured in the map for outreach, at least.
“Let me quickly add that, we are working towards universal health. That was why the governor is working hard to ensure that by December 2018, the health insurance contributory system takes off.
“The development will make more funds available to healthcare services thereby making those who can hitherto, unable to afford the services can then be able to do so. I hope the December target becomes a reality so the children, pregnant women and the aged (60 years and above) can be well taken care off.”
Sola Ojo
Though pregnancy should be a thing of joy, but here, whenever this happens, the family have to depend on traditional herbs better known in medical parlance as tradomedic, experienced old women and prayer until their wives, mothers, sisters or daughters put to bed.
Besides lack of healthcare facilities and skilled health worker in the community, the road from nearby major town called Kubacha is not motorable.
Only motorcycles are able to manoeuvre the rough, rocky and slippery route at a minimum cost of N2,000 to-and-fro Chukula to where a Missionary Hospital is located.
Many of the reproductive age women lament the high cost of bike fare due to limited cash flow.
The imagery of a woman in child labour being conveyed on a motorcycle to such a long distance for delivery calls for serious concern from relevant authorities and kind-spirited individuals.
Distance apart, the low patronage of mainstream health facilities may also be due to the quality of services rendered by the medical staff at all levels of the healthcare system in the state – Children and Women’s Rights in Nigeria: A Wake-up Call (Situation Assessment and Analysis 2001).
Patients often complain of discourteous staff, long waiting hours due to under staffing and the frequent non availability of essential drugs at the facilities.
Traditional Head, Chukula, Chief Paul Adrha told this correspondent that, taking a sick person to the nearest hospital is a serious problem to community most especially pregnant women. He added that some time the sick person died along the road because of inaccessibility.
“We have other villages here. These other villages, Nkojo, Kusam 3, Kusam 4, were equally benefiting from the PHC in those days when it was working. So you can see what it means to have one in Chukula which serves as the centre for others.
“Talking about the old PHC which is no longer habitable, I’m ready to work with people from other villages. People that share in my dream of uplifting our people. I want to work with anybody that want our progress whether they come from the community or elsewhere and not those that will bring problems for us.
“So, what I’m saying in fewer words is that, we need help. We need functional PHC around here where it will take our daughters, wives, sisters and mothers just a few minutes to access and we are open to partnership that can make that happen”, he added.
Another traditional leader in the area, Luka Tukurah confirmed that, “there is no nearby hospital except Saint Michael Clinic which is a branch of Saint Gerald Hospital in the State capital, located in far away Ungwa Jakada, an approximately two hours journey from here.
“We are a community that value lives. That was why we put the old facility in place. But unfortunately, it collapse due to lack of proper maintenance.
“We are not finding it easy at all to move from one place to the other especially when one is ill. Sometimes, you have to disembark from motorcycle especially when but rains.
“We have been like this for years. We have had cases whereby sick persons died on transit. You can see what you have experienced on your way coming. You can imagine what it would look like if you were to be a woman with pregnancy.
“We need help here. We need medical intervention to start with. There is no toilet. People deficate in the bush. And when it rains, it washes the excreta into rivers which are the major sources of water.”
Also speaking, Malachi Galadima, reiterated the efforts of his people to own PHC and the expectations that, the state government would take it up. He was of the view that, the health of every citizen of the state should be of great concern to the state government no matter the distance.
He said, “we are aware that, the health status of any community is very important because it will show the international community the seriousness of such society.”
Narrating her ordeal, 39 years old mother of three simply identified as Mama Israel told this correspondent that, the issue of climbing and riding on motorcycles during pregnancy was one too many, especially, during the first trimester.
“What do we do. This is our ancestral home. I got married seven years ago though from another village. But I lost my first pregnancy to the bad road. But thank God, I got used to the system and I now have three children.
“I did not give birth to any of them in hospital because of my previous experience. We have experienced old women who do assist us with herbs until delivery. But I would have used hospital if we have one within our community or somewhere trekable.
“I was told about the one the community people built. But as at the time I was brought here, it was already in bad shape. Please help us to talk to government or anyone that can help us with healthcare facility here. So, we can say we are part of Kaduna State and we are Nigerians”, she yelled.
A nurse who preferred anonymity because she was not authorised to speak to the press shared her experience with regard to provision of healthcare services to people in the grassroots and some of the immediate and remote reasons , many health workers decline to go to some communities to work.
“I am a nurse. An experienced one with over 27 years in active practice. I started as traditional birth attendant (TBA) in a town called Kubacha not too far from Chukula. Along the line, I got employed by the state government. I have since upgraded my qualifications by attending nursing school.
“See, it is not as if some of us deliberately refused to go to some places after deployment. Its sometimes beyond us. You spent all your earning transporting yourself from where you live to where you work daily.
“For example, in the village you went, you can see the settings yourself. Nowhere to sleep. It is just recently that the government was building quarters around some comprehensive PHCs so two or more health workers posted there can have where they can put up.
“Apart from that, sometimes your security too is not guaranteed. We have instances where colleagues have been robbed and even raped on lonely path. I’m not saying this happened in Chukula, but it is part of experience.
“Though I am not speaking for government, what I think can be done to save some of our pregnant women is for the sons and daughters of these remote communities to get professional qualifications so they can possibly work within.
“I have also seen a situation where a lady went to nursing with intention of going back to her community to work. Fortunately for her, she was employed by the State government and posted to the community. But in less than a year, she got married and her husband moved her to far away Enugu state.
“But even at that, many of them will still want to be in town where they can enjoy basic amenities such as communication network, electricity and all that. This, of course, has led to over concentration of health workers on towns and cities why only few are in grassroots,” she hinted.
State Government’s reaction
Reacting to the plight of the people of Chukula and other emerging communities, Commissioner, Kaduna State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Dogo said, the state government under the present administration is committed to improving the health of the people in Kaduna State.
The Commissioner who was the Permanent Secretary in the ministry before his present appointment as Commissioner three years ago by Governor Nasir El-Rufai , added that, the health sector is undergoing a reform to capture every group of individuals in the state.
To him, “when this administration came in three years ago, it saw the need the to do series of intervention in the health sector. About 1,000 frontline health workers were employed between 2016 and 2017 and were evenly deployed to provide healthcare services to our people. That was because, there was no major recruitment in the sector for more than ten years. And some have retired, some have resigned and some were dead.
“As we speak, we have increased budget for health. The state government has also giving us the opportunity to recruit about 3,000 additional health workers which include community health workers, environmentalists, pharmacists among others.
“All these are in addition to other interventions that are ongoing simultaneously. We are currently renovating 255 PHCs across the 255 political wards. Some of them are completed and handed over, some are completed while some are still ongoing.”
In his own view, Director, Primary Health Care, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KADPHCDA), Doctor Neyu Iliyasu, also affirmed the earlier position of the commissioner that, the state government was increasing budgetary allocation for health.
He queried whether the people of Chukula have written to the authority especially, their local government about their plight specially now that the state government had asked the agency to investigate such for action.
“23 medical doctors have just been posted to each of the LGAs. In each ward, there is PHC with right equipment. They are also deploying staff to ensure these PHCs work round the clock.
“Apart from these centres, there are other clinics attached to each of the PHCs .There are at least, six primary healthcare clinics attached. The essence is that, unlike before, each PHC use to provide service within about five kilometers radius.
“Then, the places where this did not reach, they enjoy what we call outreach. Health workers from the existing facilities would reach out to these hard-to-reach communities at least once in a month.
“But now, the Governor said, five kilometers is not acceptable because its too far. He asked that, it should be reduced to two kilometers. So, if this type of place do not have facility for now and they report, we will ensure it is captured in the map for outreach, at least.
“Let me quickly add that, we are working towards universal health. That was why the governor is working hard to ensure that by December 2018, the health insurance contributory system takes off.
“The development will make more funds available to healthcare services thereby making those who can hitherto, unable to afford the services can then be able to do so. I hope the December target becomes a reality so the children, pregnant women and the aged (60 years and above) can be well taken care off.”
The imagery of a woman in child labour being conveyed on a motorcycle to such a long distance for delivery calls for serious concern from relevant authorities and kind-spirited individuals.
Distance apart, the low patronage of mainstream health facilities may also be due to the quality of services rendered by the medical staff at all levels of the healthcare system in the state – Children and Women’s Rights in Nigeria: A Wake-up Call (Situation Assessment and Analysis 2001).
Patients often complain of discourteous staff, long waiting hours due to under staffing and the frequent non availability of essential drugs at the facilities.
Traditional Head, Chukula, Chief Paul Adrha told this correspondent that, taking a sick person to the nearest hospital is a serious problem to community most especially pregnant women. He added that some time the sick person died along the road because of inaccessibility.
“We have other villages here. These other villages, Nkojo, Kusam 3, Kusam 4, were equally benefiting from the PHC in those days when it was working. So you can see what it means to have one in Chukula which serves as the centre for others.
“Talking about the old PHC which is no longer habitable, I’m ready to work with people from other villages. People that share in my dream of uplifting our people. I want to work with anybody that want our progress whether they come from the community or elsewhere and not those that will bring problems for us.
“So, what I’m saying in fewer words is that, we need help. We need functional PHC around here where it will take our daughters, wives, sisters and mothers just a few minutes to access and we are open to partnership that can make that happen”, he added.
Another traditional leader in the area, Luka Tukurah confirmed that, “there is no nearby hospital except Saint Michael Clinic which is a branch of Saint Gerald Hospital in the State capital, located in far away Ungwa Jakada, an approximately two hours journey from here.
“We are a community that value lives. That was why we put the old facility in place. But unfortunately, it collapse due to lack of proper maintenance.
“We are not finding it easy at all to move from one place to the other especially when one is ill. Sometimes, you have to disembark from motorcycle especially when but rains.
“We have been like this for years. We have had cases whereby sick persons died on transit. You can see what you have experienced on your way coming. You can imagine what it would look like if you were to be a woman with pregnancy.
“We need help here. We need medical intervention to start with. There is no toilet. People deficate in the bush. And when it rains, it washes the excreta into rivers which are the major sources of water.”
Also speaking, Malachi Galadima, reiterated the efforts of his people to own PHC and the expectations that, the state government would take it up. He was of the view that, the health of every citizen of the state should be of great concern to the state government no matter the distance.
He said, “we are aware that, the health status of any community is very important because it will show the international community the seriousness of such society.”
Narrating her ordeal, 39 years old mother of three simply identified as Mama Israel told this correspondent that, the issue of climbing and riding on motorcycles during pregnancy was one too many, especially, during the first trimester.
“What do we do. This is our ancestral home. I got married seven years ago though from another village. But I lost my first pregnancy to the bad road. But thank God, I got used to the system and I now have three children.
“I did not give birth to any of them in hospital because of my previous experience. We have experienced old women who do assist us with herbs until delivery. But I would have used hospital if we have one within our community or somewhere trekable.
“I was told about the one the community people built. But as at the time I was brought here, it was already in bad shape. Please help us to talk to government or anyone that can help us with healthcare facility here. So, we can say we are part of Kaduna State and we are Nigerians”, she yelled.
A nurse who preferred anonymity because she was not authorised to speak to the press shared her experience with regard to provision of healthcare services to people in the grassroots and some of the immediate and remote reasons , many health workers decline to go to some communities to work.
“I am a nurse. An experienced one with over 27 years in active practice. I started as traditional birth attendant (TBA) in a town called Kubacha not too far from Chukula. Along the line, I got employed by the state government. I have since upgraded my qualifications by attending nursing school.
“See, it is not as if some of us deliberately refused to go to some places after deployment. Its sometimes beyond us. You spent all your earning transporting yourself from where you live to where you work daily.
“For example, in the village you went, you can see the settings yourself. Nowhere to sleep. It is just recently that the government was building quarters around some comprehensive PHCs so two or more health workers posted there can have where they can put up.
“Apart from that, sometimes your security too is not guaranteed. We have instances where colleagues have been robbed and even raped on lonely path. I’m not saying this happened in Chukula, but it is part of experience.
“Though I am not speaking for government, what I think can be done to save some of our pregnant women is for the sons and daughters of these remote communities to get professional qualifications so they can possibly work within.
“I have also seen a situation where a lady went to nursing with intention of going back to her community to work. Fortunately for her, she was employed by the State government and posted to the community. But in less than a year, she got married and her husband moved her to far away Enugu state.
“But even at that, many of them will still want to be in town where they can enjoy basic amenities such as communication network, electricity and all that. This, of course, has led to over concentration of health workers on towns and cities why only few are in grassroots,” she hinted.
State Government’s reaction
Reacting to the plight of the people of Chukula and other emerging communities, Commissioner, Kaduna State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Dogo said, the state government under the present administration is committed to improving the health of the people in Kaduna State.
The Commissioner who was the Permanent Secretary in the ministry before his present appointment as Commissioner three years ago by Governor Nasir El-Rufai , added that, the health sector is undergoing a reform to capture every group of individuals in the state.
To him, “when this administration came in three years ago, it saw the need the to do series of intervention in the health sector. About 1,000 frontline health workers were employed between 2016 and 2017 and were evenly deployed to provide healthcare services to our people. That was because, there was no major recruitment in the sector for more than ten years. And some have retired, some have resigned and some were dead.
“As we speak, we have increased budget for health. The state government has also giving us the opportunity to recruit about 3,000 additional health workers which include community health workers, environmentalists, pharmacists among others.
“All these are in addition to other interventions that are ongoing simultaneously. We are currently renovating 255 PHCs across the 255 political wards. Some of them are completed and handed over, some are completed while some are still ongoing.”
In his own view, Director, Primary Health Care, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KADPHCDA), Doctor Neyu Iliyasu, also affirmed the earlier position of the commissioner that, the state government was increasing budgetary allocation for health.
He queried whether the people of Chukula have written to the authority especially, their local government about their plight specially now that the state government had asked the agency to investigate such for action.
“23 medical doctors have just been posted to each of the LGAs. In each ward, there is PHC with right equipment. They are also deploying staff to ensure these PHCs work round the clock.
“Apart from these centres, there are other clinics attached to each of the PHCs .There are at least, six primary healthcare clinics attached. The essence is that, unlike before, each PHC use to provide service within about five kilometers radius.
“Then, the places where this did not reach, they enjoy what we call outreach. Health workers from the existing facilities would reach out to these hard-to-reach communities at least once in a month.
“But now, the Governor said, five kilometers is not acceptable because its too far. He asked that, it should be reduced to two kilometers. So, if this type of place do not have facility for now and they report, we will ensure it is captured in the map for outreach, at least.
“Let me quickly add that, we are working towards universal health. That was why the governor is working hard to ensure that by December 2018, the health insurance contributory system takes off.
“The development will make more funds available to healthcare services thereby making those who can hitherto, unable to afford the services can then be able to do so. I hope the December target becomes a reality so the children, pregnant women and the aged (60 years and above) can be well taken care off.”The imagery of a woman in child labour being conveyed on a motorcycle to such a long distance for delivery calls for serious concern from relevant authorities and kind-spirited individuals.
Distance apart, the low patronage of mainstream health facilities may also be due to the quality of services rendered by the medical staff at all levels of the healthcare system in the state – Children and Women’s Rights in Nigeria: A Wake-up Call (Situation Assessment and Analysis 2001).
Patients often complain of discourteous staff, long waiting hours due to under staffing and the frequent non availability of essential drugs at the facilities.
Traditional Head, Chukula, Chief Paul Adrha told this correspondent that, taking a sick person to the nearest hospital is a serious problem to community most especially pregnant women. He added that some time the sick person died along the road because of inaccessibility.
“We have other villages here. These other villages, Nkojo, Kusam 3, Kusam 4, were equally benefiting from the PHC in those days when it was working. So you can see what it means to have one in Chukula which serves as the centre for others.
“Talking about the old PHC which is no longer habitable, I’m ready to work with people from other villages. People that share in my dream of uplifting our people. I want to work with anybody that want our progress whether they come from the community or elsewhere and not those that will bring problems for us.
“So, what I’m saying in fewer words is that, we need help. We need functional PHC around here where it will take our daughters, wives, sisters and mothers just a few minutes to access and we are open to partnership that can make that happen”, he added.
Another traditional leader in the area, Luka Tukurah confirmed that, “there is no nearby hospital except Saint Michael Clinic which is a branch of Saint Gerald Hospital in the State capital, located in far away Ungwa Jakada, an approximately two hours journey from here.
“We are a community that value lives. That was why we put the old facility in place. But unfortunately, it collapse due to lack of proper maintenance.
“We are not finding it easy at all to move from one place to the other especially when one is ill. Sometimes, you have to disembark from motorcycle especially when but rains.
“We have been like this for years. We have had cases whereby sick persons died on transit. You can see what you have experienced on your way coming. You can imagine what it would look like if you were to be a woman with pregnancy.
“We need help here. We need medical intervention to start with. There is no toilet. People deficate in the bush. And when it rains, it washes the excreta into rivers which are the major sources of water.”
Also speaking, Malachi Galadima, reiterated the efforts of his people to own PHC and the expectations that, the state government would take it up. He was of the view that, the health of every citizen of the state should be of great concern to the state government no matter the distance.
He said, “we are aware that, the health status of any community is very important because it will show the international community the seriousness of such society.”
Narrating her ordeal, 39 years old mother of three simply identified as Mama Israel told this correspondent that, the issue of climbing and riding on motorcycles during pregnancy was one too many, especially, during the first trimester.
“What do we do. This is our ancestral home. I got married seven years ago though from another village. But I lost my first pregnancy to the bad road. But thank God, I got used to the system and I now have three children.
“I did not give birth to any of them in hospital because of my previous experience. We have experienced old women who do assist us with herbs until delivery. But I would have used hospital if we have one within our community or somewhere trekable.
“I was told about the one the community people built. But as at the time I was brought here, it was already in bad shape. Please help us to talk to government or anyone that can help us with healthcare facility here. So, we can say we are part of Kaduna State and we are Nigerians”, she yelled.
A nurse who preferred anonymity because she was not authorised to speak to the press shared her experience with regard to provision of healthcare services to people in the grassroots and some of the immediate and remote reasons , many health workers decline to go to some communities to work.
“I am a nurse. An experienced one with over 27 years in active practice. I started as traditional birth attendant (TBA) in a town called Kubacha not too far from Chukula. Along the line, I got employed by the state government. I have since upgraded my qualifications by attending nursing school.
“See, it is not as if some of us deliberately refused to go to some places after deployment. Its sometimes beyond us. You spent all your earning transporting yourself from where you live to where you work daily.
“For example, in the village you went, you can see the settings yourself. Nowhere to sleep. It is just recently that the government was building quarters around some comprehensive PHCs so two or more health workers posted there can have where they can put up.
“Apart from that, sometimes your security too is not guaranteed. We have instances where colleagues have been robbed and even raped on lonely path. I’m not saying this happened in Chukula, but it is part of experience.
“Though I am not speaking for government, what I think can be done to save some of our pregnant women is for the sons and daughters of these remote communities to get professional qualifications so they can possibly work within.
“I have also seen a situation where a lady went to nursing with intention of going back to her community to work. Fortunately for her, she was employed by the State government and posted to the community. But in less than a year, she got married and her husband moved her to far away Enugu state.
“But even at that, many of them will still want to be in town where they can enjoy basic amenities such as communication network, electricity and all that. This, of course, has led to over concentration of health workers on towns and cities why only few are in grassroots,” she hinted.
State Government’s reaction
Reacting to the plight of the people of Chukula and other emerging communities, Commissioner, Kaduna State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Dogo said, the state government under the present administration is committed to improving the health of the people in Kaduna State.
The Commissioner who was the Permanent Secretary in the ministry before his present appointment as Commissioner three years ago by Governor Nasir El-Rufai , added that, the health sector is undergoing a reform to capture every group of individuals in the state.
To him, “when this administration came in three years ago, it saw the need the to do series of intervention in the health sector. About 1,000 frontline health workers were employed between 2016 and 2017 and were evenly deployed to provide healthcare services to our people. That was because, there was no major recruitment in the sector for more than ten years. And some have retired, some have resigned and some were dead.
“As we speak, we have increased budget for health. The state government has also giving us the opportunity to recruit about 3,000 additional health workers which include community health workers, environmentalists, pharmacists among others.
“All these are in addition to other interventions that are ongoing simultaneously. We are currently renovating 255 PHCs across the 255 political wards. Some of them are completed and handed over, some are completed while some are still ongoing.”
In his own view, Director, Primary Health Care, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KADPHCDA), Doctor Neyu Iliyasu, also affirmed the earlier position of the commissioner that, the state government was increasing budgetary allocation for health.
He queried whether the people of Chukula have written to the authority especially, their local government about their plight specially now that the state government had asked the agency to investigate such for action.
“23 medical doctors have just been posted to each of the LGAs. In each ward, there is PHC with right equipment. They are also deploying staff to ensure these PHCs work round the clock.
“Apart from these centres, there are other clinics attached to each of the PHCs .There are at least, six primary healthcare clinics attached. The essence is that, unlike before, each PHC use to provide service within about five kilometers radius.
“Then, the places where this did not reach, they enjoy what we call outreach. Health workers from the existing facilities would reach out to these hard-to-reach communities at least once in a month.
“But now, the Governor said, five kilometers is not acceptable because its too far. He asked that, it should be reduced to two kilometers. So, if this type of place do not have facility for now and they report, we will ensure it is captured in the map for outreach, at least.
“Let me quickly add that, we are working towards universal health. That was why the governor is working hard to ensure that by December 2018, the health insurance contributory system takes off.
“The development will make more funds available to healthcare services thereby making those who can hitherto, unable to afford the services can then be able to do so. I hope the December target becomes a reality so the children, pregnant women and the aged (60 years and above) can be well taken care off.”
Traditional Head, Chukula, Chief Paul Adrha told this correspondent that, taking a sick person to the nearest hospital is a serious problem to community most especially pregnant women. He added that some time the sick person died along the road because of inaccessibility.
“We have other villages here. These other villages, Nkojo, Kusam 3, Kusam 4, were equally benefiting from the PHC in those days when it was working. So you can see what it means to have one in Chukula which serves as the centre for others.
“Talking about the old PHC which is no longer habitable, I’m ready to work with people from other villages. People that share in my dream of uplifting our people. I want to work with anybody that want our progress whether they come from the community or elsewhere and not those that will bring problems for us.
“So, what I’m saying in fewer words is that, we need help. We need functional PHC around here where it will take our daughters, wives, sisters and mothers just a few minutes to access and we are open to partnership that can make that happen”, he added.
Another traditional leader in the area, Luka Tukurah confirmed that, “there is no nearby hospital except Saint Michael Clinic which is a branch of Saint Gerald Hospital in the State capital, located in far away Ungwa Jakada, an approximately two hours journey from here.
“We are a community that value lives. That was why we put the old facility in place. But unfortunately, it collapse due to lack of proper maintenance.
“We are not finding it easy at all to move from one place to the other especially when one is ill. Sometimes, you have to disembark from motorcycle especially when but rains.
“We have been like this for years. We have had cases whereby sick persons died on transit. You can see what you have experienced on your way coming. You can imagine what it would look like if you were to be a woman with pregnancy.
“We need help here. We need medical intervention to start with. There is no toilet. People deficate in the bush. And when it rains, it washes the excreta into rivers which are the major sources of water.”
Also speaking, Malachi Galadima, reiterated the efforts of his people to own PHC and the expectations that, the state government would take it up. He was of the view that, the health of every citizen of the state should be of great concern to the state government no matter the distance.
He said, “we are aware that, the health status of any community is very important because it will show the international community the seriousness of such society.”
Narrating her ordeal, 39 years old mother of three simply identified as Mama Israel told this correspondent that, the issue of climbing and riding on motorcycles during pregnancy was one too many, especially, during the first trimester.
“What do we do. This is our ancestral home. I got married seven years ago though from another village. But I lost my first pregnancy to the bad road. But thank God, I got used to the system and I now have three children.
“I did not give birth to any of them in hospital because of my previous experience. We have experienced old women who do assist us with herbs until delivery. But I would have used hospital if we have one within our community or somewhere trekable.
“I was told about the one the community people built. But as at the time I was brought here, it was already in bad shape. Please help us to talk to government or anyone that can help us with healthcare facility here. So, we can say we are part of Kaduna State and we are Nigerians”, she yelled.
A nurse who preferred anonymity because she was not authorised to speak to the press shared her experience with regard to provision of healthcare services to people in the grassroots and some of the immediate and remote reasons , many health workers decline to go to some communities to work.
“I am a nurse. An experienced one with over 27 years in active practice. I started as traditional birth attendant (TBA) in a town called Kubacha not too far from Chukula. Along the line, I got employed by the state government. I have since upgraded my qualifications by attending nursing school.
“See, it is not as if some of us deliberately refused to go to some places after deployment. Its sometimes beyond us. You spent all your earning transporting yourself from where you live to where you work daily.
“For example, in the village you went, you can see the settings yourself. Nowhere to sleep. It is just recently that the government was building quarters around some comprehensive PHCs so two or more health workers posted there can have where they can put up.
“Apart from that, sometimes your security too is not guaranteed. We have instances where colleagues have been robbed and even raped on lonely path. I’m not saying this happened in Chukula, but it is part of experience.
“Though I am not speaking for government, what I think can be done to save some of our pregnant women is for the sons and daughters of these remote communities to get professional qualifications so they can possibly work within.
“I have also seen a situation where a lady went to nursing with intention of going back to her community to work. Fortunately for her, she was employed by the State government and posted to the community. But in less than a year, she got married and her husband moved her to far away Enugu state.
“But even at that, many of them will still want to be in town where they can enjoy basic amenities such as communication network, electricity and all that. This, of course, has led to over concentration of health workers on towns and cities why only few are in grassroots,” she hinted.
State Government’s reaction
Reacting to the plight of the people of Chukula and other emerging communities, Commissioner, Kaduna State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Dogo said, the state government under the present administration is committed to improving the health of the people in Kaduna State.
The Commissioner who was the Permanent Secretary in the ministry before his present appointment as Commissioner three years ago by Governor Nasir El-Rufai , added that, the health sector is undergoing a reform to capture every group of individuals in the state.
To him, “when this administration came in three years ago, it saw the need the to do series of intervention in the health sector. About 1,000 frontline health workers were employed between 2016 and 2017 and were evenly deployed to provide healthcare services to our people. That was because, there was no major recruitment in the sector for more than ten years. And some have retired, some have resigned and some were dead.
“As we speak, we have increased budget for health. The state government has also giving us the opportunity to recruit about 3,000 additional health workers which include community health workers, environmentalists, pharmacists among others.
“All these are in addition to other interventions that are ongoing simultaneously. We are currently renovating 255 PHCs across the 255 political wards. Some of them are completed and handed over, some are completed while some are still ongoing.”
In his own view, Director, Primary Health Care, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KADPHCDA), Doctor Neyu Iliyasu, also affirmed the earlier position of the commissioner that, the state government was increasing budgetary allocation for health.
He queried whether the people of Chukula have written to the authority especially, their local government about their plight specially now that the state government had asked the agency to investigate such for action.
“23 medical doctors have just been posted to each of the LGAs. In each ward, there is PHC with right equipment. They are also deploying staff to ensure these PHCs work round the clock.
“Apart from these centres, there are other clinics attached to each of the PHCs .There are at least, six primary healthcare clinics attached. The essence is that, unlike before, each PHC use to provide service within about five kilometers radius.
“Then, the places where this did not reach, they enjoy what we call outreach. Health workers from the existing facilities would reach out to these hard-to-reach communities at least once in a month.
“But now, the Governor said, five kilometers is not acceptable because its too far. He asked that, it should be reduced to two kilometers. So, if this type of place do not have facility for now and they report, we will ensure it is captured in the map for outreach, at least.
“Let me quickly add that, we are working towards universal health. That was why the governor is working hard to ensure that by December 2018, the health insurance contributory system takes off.
“The development will make more funds available to healthcare services thereby making those who can hitherto, unable to afford the services can then be able to do so. I hope the December target becomes a reality so the children, pregnant women and the aged (60 years and above) can be well taken care off.”
Sola Ojo
Distance apart, the low patronage of mainstream health facilities may also be due to the quality of services rendered by the medical staff at all levels of the healthcare system in the state – Children and Women’s Rights in Nigeria: A Wake-up Call (Situation Assessment and Analysis 2001).
Patients often complain of discourteous staff, long waiting hours due to under staffing and the frequent non availability of essential drugs at the facilities.
Traditional Head, Chukula, Chief Paul Adrha told this correspondent that, taking a sick person to the nearest hospital is a serious problem to community most especially pregnant women. He added that some time the sick person died along the road because of inaccessibility.
“We have other villages here. These other villages, Nkojo, Kusam 3, Kusam 4, were equally benefiting from the PHC in those days when it was working. So you can see what it means to have one in Chukula which serves as the centre for others.
“Talking about the old PHC which is no longer habitable, I’m ready to work with people from other villages. People that share in my dream of uplifting our people. I want to work with anybody that want our progress whether they come from the community or elsewhere and not those that will bring problems for us.
“So, what I’m saying in fewer words is that, we need help. We need functional PHC around here where it will take our daughters, wives, sisters and mothers just a few minutes to access and we are open to partnership that can make that happen”, he added.
Another traditional leader in the area, Luka Tukurah confirmed that, “there is no nearby hospital except Saint Michael Clinic which is a branch of Saint Gerald Hospital in the State capital, located in far away Ungwa Jakada, an approximately two hours journey from here.
“We are a community that value lives. That was why we put the old facility in place. But unfortunately, it collapse due to lack of proper maintenance.
“We are not finding it easy at all to move from one place to the other especially when one is ill. Sometimes, you have to disembark from motorcycle especially when but rains.
“We have been like this for years. We have had cases whereby sick persons died on transit. You can see what you have experienced on your way coming. You can imagine what it would look like if you were to be a woman with pregnancy.
“We need help here. We need medical intervention to start with. There is no toilet. People deficate in the bush. And when it rains, it washes the excreta into rivers which are the major sources of water.”
Also speaking, Malachi Galadima, reiterated the efforts of his people to own PHC and the expectations that, the state government would take it up. He was of the view that, the health of every citizen of the state should be of great concern to the state government no matter the distance.
He said, “we are aware that, the health status of any community is very important because it will show the international community the seriousness of such society.”
Narrating her ordeal, 39 years old mother of three simply identified as Mama Israel told this correspondent that, the issue of climbing and riding on motorcycles during pregnancy was one too many, especially, during the first trimester.
“What do we do. This is our ancestral home. I got married seven years ago though from another village. But I lost my first pregnancy to the bad road. But thank God, I got used to the system and I now have three children.
“I did not give birth to any of them in hospital because of my previous experience. We have experienced old women who do assist us with herbs until delivery. But I would have used hospital if we have one within our community or somewhere trekable.
“I was told about the one the community people built. But as at the time I was brought here, it was already in bad shape. Please help us to talk to government or anyone that can help us with healthcare facility here. So, we can say we are part of Kaduna State and we are Nigerians”, she yelled.
A nurse who preferred anonymity because she was not authorised to speak to the press shared her experience with regard to provision of healthcare services to people in the grassroots and some of the immediate and remote reasons , many health workers decline to go to some communities to work.
“I am a nurse. An experienced one with over 27 years in active practice. I started as traditional birth attendant (TBA) in a town called Kubacha not too far from Chukula. Along the line, I got employed by the state government. I have since upgraded my qualifications by attending nursing school.
“See, it is not as if some of us deliberately refused to go to some places after deployment. Its sometimes beyond us. You spent all your earning transporting yourself from where you live to where you work daily.
“For example, in the village you went, you can see the settings yourself. Nowhere to sleep. It is just recently that the government was building quarters around some comprehensive PHCs so two or more health workers posted there can have where they can put up.
“Apart from that, sometimes your security too is not guaranteed. We have instances where colleagues have been robbed and even raped on lonely path. I’m not saying this happened in Chukula, but it is part of experience.
“Though I am not speaking for government, what I think can be done to save some of our pregnant women is for the sons and daughters of these remote communities to get professional qualifications so they can possibly work within.
“I have also seen a situation where a lady went to nursing with intention of going back to her community to work. Fortunately for her, she was employed by the State government and posted to the community. But in less than a year, she got married and her husband moved her to far away Enugu state.
“But even at that, many of them will still want to be in town where they can enjoy basic amenities such as communication network, electricity and all that. This, of course, has led to over concentration of health workers on towns and cities why only few are in grassroots,” she hinted.
State Government’s reaction
Reacting to the plight of the people of Chukula and other emerging communities, Commissioner, Kaduna State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Dogo said, the state government under the present administration is committed to improving the health of the people in Kaduna State.
The Commissioner who was the Permanent Secretary in the ministry before his present appointment as Commissioner three years ago by Governor Nasir El-Rufai , added that, the health sector is undergoing a reform to capture every group of individuals in the state.
To him, “when this administration came in three years ago, it saw the need the to do series of intervention in the health sector. About 1,000 frontline health workers were employed between 2016 and 2017 and were evenly deployed to provide healthcare services to our people. That was because, there was no major recruitment in the sector for more than ten years. And some have retired, some have resigned and some were dead.
“As we speak, we have increased budget for health. The state government has also giving us the opportunity to recruit about 3,000 additional health workers which include community health workers, environmentalists, pharmacists among others.
“All these are in addition to other interventions that are ongoing simultaneously. We are currently renovating 255 PHCs across the 255 political wards. Some of them are completed and handed over, some are completed while some are still ongoing.”
In his own view, Director, Primary Health Care, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KADPHCDA), Doctor Neyu Iliyasu, also affirmed the earlier position of the commissioner that, the state government was increasing budgetary allocation for health.
He queried whether the people of Chukula have written to the authority especially, their local government about their plight specially now that the state government had asked the agency to investigate such for action.
“23 medical doctors have just been posted to each of the LGAs. In each ward, there is PHC with right equipment. They are also deploying staff to ensure these PHCs work round the clock.
“Apart from these centres, there are other clinics attached to each of the PHCs .There are at least, six primary healthcare clinics attached. The essence is that, unlike before, each PHC use to provide service within about five kilometers radius.
“Then, the places where this did not reach, they enjoy what we call outreach. Health workers from the existing facilities would reach out to these hard-to-reach communities at least once in a month.
“But now, the Governor said, five kilometers is not acceptable because its too far. He asked that, it should be reduced to two kilometers. So, if this type of place do not have facility for now and they report, we will ensure it is captured in the map for outreach, at least.
“Let me quickly add that, we are working towards universal health. That was why the governor is working hard to ensure that by December 2018, the health insurance contributory system takes off.
“The development will make more funds available to healthcare services thereby making those who can hitherto, unable to afford the services can then be able to do so. I hope the December target becomes a reality so the children, pregnant women and the aged (60 years and above) can be well taken care off.”
Traditional Head, Chukula, Chief Paul Adrha told this correspondent that, taking a sick person to the nearest hospital is a serious problem to community most especially pregnant women. He added that some time the sick person died along the road because of inaccessibility.
“We have other villages here. These other villages, Nkojo, Kusam 3, Kusam 4, were equally benefiting from the PHC in those days when it was working. So you can see what it means to have one in Chukula which serves as the centre for others.
“Talking about the old PHC which is no longer habitable, I’m ready to work with people from other villages. People that share in my dream of uplifting our people. I want to work with anybody that want our progress whether they come from the community or elsewhere and not those that will bring problems for us.
“So, what I’m saying in fewer words is that, we need help. We need functional PHC around here where it will take our daughters, wives, sisters and mothers just a few minutes to access and we are open to partnership that can make that happen”, he added.
Another traditional leader in the area, Luka Tukurah confirmed that, “there is no nearby hospital except Saint Michael Clinic which is a branch of Saint Gerald Hospital in the State capital, located in far away Ungwa Jakada, an approximately two hours journey from here.
“We are a community that value lives. That was why we put the old facility in place. But unfortunately, it collapse due to lack of proper maintenance.
“We are not finding it easy at all to move from one place to the other especially when one is ill. Sometimes, you have to disembark from motorcycle especially when but rains.
“We have been like this for years. We have had cases whereby sick persons died on transit. You can see what you have experienced on your way coming. You can imagine what it would look like if you were to be a woman with pregnancy.
“We need help here. We need medical intervention to start with. There is no toilet. People deficate in the bush. And when it rains, it washes the excreta into rivers which are the major sources of water.”
Also speaking, Malachi Galadima, reiterated the efforts of his people to own PHC and the expectations that, the state government would take it up. He was of the view that, the health of every citizen of the state should be of great concern to the state government no matter the distance.
He said, “we are aware that, the health status of any community is very important because it will show the international community the seriousness of such society.”
Narrating her ordeal, 39 years old mother of three simply identified as Mama Israel told this correspondent that, the issue of climbing and riding on motorcycles during pregnancy was one too many, especially, during the first trimester.
“What do we do. This is our ancestral home. I got married seven years ago though from another village. But I lost my first pregnancy to the bad road. But thank God, I got used to the system and I now have three children.
“I did not give birth to any of them in hospital because of my previous experience. We have experienced old women who do assist us with herbs until delivery. But I would have used hospital if we have one within our community or somewhere trekable.
“I was told about the one the community people built. But as at the time I was brought here, it was already in bad shape. Please help us to talk to government or anyone that can help us with healthcare facility here. So, we can say we are part of Kaduna State and we are Nigerians”, she yelled.
A nurse who preferred anonymity because she was not authorised to speak to the press shared her experience with regard to provision of healthcare services to people in the grassroots and some of the immediate and remote reasons , many health workers decline to go to some communities to work.
“I am a nurse. An experienced one with over 27 years in active practice. I started as traditional birth attendant (TBA) in a town called Kubacha not too far from Chukula. Along the line, I got employed by the state government. I have since upgraded my qualifications by attending nursing school.
“See, it is not as if some of us deliberately refused to go to some places after deployment. Its sometimes beyond us. You spent all your earning transporting yourself from where you live to where you work daily.
“For example, in the village you went, you can see the settings yourself. Nowhere to sleep. It is just recently that the government was building quarters around some comprehensive PHCs so two or more health workers posted there can have where they can put up.
“Apart from that, sometimes your security too is not guaranteed. We have instances where colleagues have been robbed and even raped on lonely path. I’m not saying this happened in Chukula, but it is part of experience.
“Though I am not speaking for government, what I think can be done to save some of our pregnant women is for the sons and daughters of these remote communities to get professional qualifications so they can possibly work within.
“I have also seen a situation where a lady went to nursing with intention of going back to her community to work. Fortunately for her, she was employed by the State government and posted to the community. But in less than a year, she got married and her husband moved her to far away Enugu state.
“But even at that, many of them will still want to be in town where they can enjoy basic amenities such as communication network, electricity and all that. This, of course, has led to over concentration of health workers on towns and cities why only few are in grassroots,” she hinted.
State Government’s reaction
Reacting to the plight of the people of Chukula and other emerging communities, Commissioner, Kaduna State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Dogo said, the state government under the present administration is committed to improving the health of the people in Kaduna State.
The Commissioner who was the Permanent Secretary in the ministry before his present appointment as Commissioner three years ago by Governor Nasir El-Rufai , added that, the health sector is undergoing a reform to capture every group of individuals in the state.
To him, “when this administration came in three years ago, it saw the need the to do series of intervention in the health sector. About 1,000 frontline health workers were employed between 2016 and 2017 and were evenly deployed to provide healthcare services to our people. That was because, there was no major recruitment in the sector for more than ten years. And some have retired, some have resigned and some were dead.
“As we speak, we have increased budget for health. The state government has also giving us the opportunity to recruit about 3,000 additional health workers which include community health workers, environmentalists, pharmacists among others.
“All these are in addition to other interventions that are ongoing simultaneously. We are currently renovating 255 PHCs across the 255 political wards. Some of them are completed and handed over, some are completed while some are still ongoing.”
In his own view, Director, Primary Health Care, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KADPHCDA), Doctor Neyu Iliyasu, also affirmed the earlier position of the commissioner that, the state government was increasing budgetary allocation for health.
He queried whether the people of Chukula have written to the authority especially, their local government about their plight specially now that the state government had asked the agency to investigate such for action.
“23 medical doctors have just been posted to each of the LGAs. In each ward, there is PHC with right equipment. They are also deploying staff to ensure these PHCs work round the clock.
“Apart from these centres, there are other clinics attached to each of the PHCs .There are at least, six primary healthcare clinics attached. The essence is that, unlike before, each PHC use to provide service within about five kilometers radius.
“Then, the places where this did not reach, they enjoy what we call outreach. Health workers from the existing facilities would reach out to these hard-to-reach communities at least once in a month.
“But now, the Governor said, five kilometers is not acceptable because its too far. He asked that, it should be reduced to two kilometers. So, if this type of place do not have facility for now and they report, we will ensure it is captured in the map for outreach, at least.
“Let me quickly add that, we are working towards universal health. That was why the governor is working hard to ensure that by December 2018, the health insurance contributory system takes off.
“The development will make more funds available to healthcare services thereby making those who can hitherto, unable to afford the services can then be able to do so. I hope the December target becomes a reality so the children, pregnant women and the aged (60 years and above) can be well taken care off.”
Sola Ojo