Sani Gazas Chinade, Damaturu
Determined to ensure transparency and accountability in governance, a non-governmental organization ‘Follow the Money’ has carried out a survey on some projects executed across Yobe State.
The Yobe State Team Lead of Follow the Money, Mu’azu Modu in his address at the town hall meeting today in Gashaka village of Fika Local Government Area of the state explained that “COVID-19 pandemic has exposed how weak the healthcare system is, as a Country as rightly mentioned in several briefings by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 (PTF) as result of excessive corruption, lack of accountability and public oversight. When Nigeria receive 3.92 million doses of Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccines in March, the first trench of 16 million doses, according to the announcement made by Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency”.
He added that “we as the Connected Development [CODE] are concerned with our primary healthcare centers across the Country have the infrastructural capacity to store and administer the vaccine in rural communities in Nigeria. In partnership with BudgIT and Global integrity as part of COVID-19 transparency and Accountability project, Follow The Money launched COVID-19 lunched tracking COVID-19 vaccination in 15 states of Nigeria to check and ensure the primary healthcare centers have adequate infrastructural and human resources capacity to host the vaccine and meet the standard set by National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA)”.
“We chose 2 Primary Healthcare Centers each across 3 senatorial districts in 15 states totaling 90 Primary Healthcare centers. As such, we selected Gashaka Primary Healthcare Centre and Gadaka Primary Healthcare Centre in Yobe South, Bumsa Primary Healthcare Centre and Bularafa Primary Healthcare Centre in Yobe East, and Lawan Musa Primary Healthcare Centre and Jaji Maji Primary Healthcare Centre in Yobe North. The Summary of Key Findings of our tracking in 15 states”.
Modu further disclosed that 80% of the 90 Primary Healthcare Centre fall below the minimum PHC standard set by the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA).”2 out every 10 primary healthcare centers do not have any form of electricity; they supplement natural light with lanterns or torchlights. None of 6 Primary healthcare in Yobe state falls under this category”.
“30 of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency have no access to clean water, thus relying on water from sources like wells and rainwater. None of 6 Primary healthcare in Yobe state falls under this category”.
“Only 56 out of 90 primary healthcare centers assessed have the recommended pharmaceutical fridge to host vaccine. 90% of the primary healthcare centers provide ante-natal and maternity care”
Speaking on the challenges of the primary health facility in Gashaka, Fika Local Government Area, Woman Leader in the Community, Hassana Yusuf, Youth Leader Abubakar Usman, and Community Leader, Zakar Madi (Yariman Gashaka) collectively complained about “lack of borehole in the facility, lack of capacity generator to power the equipment, poorly executed toilets, lack of furniture. Others are lack of examination beds, ward beds, most of the staff are volunteers, no cleaners, no security guard and no medical records staff”.
We are appealing to the administration of Governor Mai Mala Buni to come to our aid, we are appreciative of his initiatives of constructing and renovating our facility, he is a people’s Governor that has the masses close to his heart”.