Osun’s renovation of 332 healthcare centres: New lease of life for beneficiary communities?

Recently, the Osun State government commissioned for use, 100 out of 332 primary healthcare centres being revitalised and rehabilitated under the Saving One Million Lives Programme for Results (SOMLP for R) across the state. YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE went round beneficiary communities in Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Osogbo, Ile-Ife and Ikire, to observe the impacts of the centres.

 

“I have been in this Sabo community for over 20 years and this health centre has always been here but it was just there as a symbol, not a functional entity until recently. It has changed drastically and I can tell you it is for the better. Before, this place had no chairs, no medication to give us, the nurses were just trying to improvise out of love, it was difficult for them to administer first aid.

We didn’t even know we had a clinic here because we had to go out of the community for treatment. It was that bad and the structure was nothing to write home about. But when Governor Gboyega Oyetola came on board, we have experienced a change in fortune in terms of healthcare.

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“Aside the renovation, we have adequate care, the services have gone beyond first aid and cleaning of wounds, there are now antenatal and delivery services; they take care of the sick and they get medication. It is not just a fine structure now; services are also now improved and they now have more personnel who work on shifts. We come in anytime of the day; it is just like the renovation of the health centre has given us a new lease of life in the community.”

These were the words of Mrs Kolapo Olajumoke, a resident of Sabo in an interview with Nigerian Tribune. Her opinion was not a lone one as it was corroborated by four other people of different age groups in the society; Mahmud Hazeem, Saheed Bako and Arike Salawu. Their words were also confirmed by a medical practitioner, Usman Bisi Adeyemi, who has been working at the health centre for over a decade and is the officer-in-charge 2 at the health centre.

Adeyemi told Nigerian Tribune that the Sabo primary health centre serves about 30, 000 people but was equipped for effective service delivery recently. “Since the health centre got renovated, things have changed and we are also happy as medical officers here because we now have people trooping into the centre and we are able to treat them.

In few weeks, we have an enrollment figure of about 290 which is high for a centre that had no one coming in before it was renovated. Before now, no one came in here, even you would not have been able to stay or look around as you do now. The situation was terrible but now, we are at the standard we are supposed to be; we are touching lives and giving them the basic care they require,” he stated.

Nigerian Tribune’s investigations reveal that Osun State has 1,020 primary health centres out of which only 876 were functional but majority of the functional ones were just buildings and were not meeting the needs of the people in the communities as they had no facilities to do what was required of them. And though previous administrations in the state did what they could, there was still a huge vacuum to fill in terms of access to basic care, especially in rural communities within the state.

So when the Saving One Million Lives Programme for Results (SOMLP for R) in the state came second in the 2018 national SMART Survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics, in conjunction with the World Bank, which attracted a financial reward of $20,547,000.00, Governor Oyetola dedicated the fund towards revamping the health sector in the state, employing a holistic approach to turn around the health sector in the state.

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For this to be smoothly coordinated, he set up a special committee on health revitalisation which he headed himself with other members including the supervisor for works, Remi Omowaiye, Bola Oyebamiji, Dr. Rafiu Isamotu and Dr. Simone Afolayan, to monitor the renovation, revitalisation and upgrading of 332 focal primary healthcare centres, which must entail one in every ward in the state, for the delivery of basic healthcare.

The project includes provision of necessary equipment, provision of full medical personnel, boreholes to all the focal primary health centres to serve beneficiary communities and provision of toilet facilities, among others.

It was gathered that aside the 100 primary health centres completed, 147 other healthcare centres are under renovation while the last 75 are about to be awarded to indigenous contactors.

In addition, the overhaul was extended to secondary healthcare centres with some general hospitals getting awarded for renovation.

Ejigbo and Ifetedo renovations are 85 per cent completed; contract has been awarded for the construction of a 120-bed ward and 30-flat doctors’ quarters at the state specialist hospital, Asubiaro.

The theatre complex, blood bank, laboratory complex and clinic of the state hospital are also under renovation while a security wall is being constructed to ensure security and safety of staff and patients.

A staff of the Ministry of Health identified simply as Boladale told Nigerian Tribune that the project supported the State Primary healthcare Board with two Hilux vehicles while the secretariat of the board is also under renovation to enhance the supervisory and monitoring capabilities of the board. The government has equally set up the Osun Health Insurance Scheme to drive the state health insurance with the release of more than N500 million to the agency to ensure provision of health insurance for indigent citizens.

The wind of fortune in healthcare interestingly did not stop in Osogbo. At Isokan Primary Healthcare Centre in Ilesa-West, the joy on the faces of the patients was palpable as Nigerian Tribune met many people on the  ground enrolling for treatment. Speaking on the development, Mrs Owolabi Rebecca, a medical staff stated that working in the health centre is now a fulfilling exercise as the joy of any health worker is to be able to give people relief.

“I am happy that people now believe in us and we can meet their needs. This place was not encouraging before; we also know that the situation was not what it should be, but we thank God that government decided to overhaul the health sector. Now, people come to us without anyone calling them. They troop in and we are happy that the health centre is now a haven for the people when they have health challenges, they even come to fetch water,” Mrs Owolabi explained.

This is also the situation at the Imo primary health centre in Ilesa-West where the enrollment figure was noticeably high, with the confidence of the people restored.

At the Akarabata primary health centre in Ile-Ife which is a new structure, the people are elated and looking forward to having their medical needs met in their vicinity rather than travelling far for medical emergencies.

For the people of Oluofinrin in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area of Osun State, the renovation of the primary health centre was a dream come true.

“We had been looking forward to government remembering us here. When we were told our health centres was among those to be overhauled, we were ecstatic and expectations got high among the people and we are happy that our expectations were not cut short.

Now, the clinic environment is conducive for medical activities, we have a structure that promotes hygiene and is friendly to users. People are now trooping in for treatment.

We are indeed grateful,” Muili Rukayat told Nigerian Tribune.

A resident, Mary Alabi, who sells a popular local delicacy and cheese expressed joy that the government is concerned with the health of the people.

“I don’t know if it is because the deputy governor is from here, but I learnt this is not done only in Ikire, so it must be that this government really wants to keep its promise.

I am happy anytime I pass by  that health centre I am encouraged to go there because it is now a real hospital. It is indeed encouraging that we can now take our pregnant women to the health centre and there will be people and facilities to take care of them. We are indeed happy and we enjoin the government to continue its good work,” she stated.

For many people in the beneficiary communities, getting a reliable source of potable water in addition to effective healthcare is good fortune. And to them, it has given their communities a new lease on life.

As other communities await the commissioning and revitalisation of primary health centres in their domains, many are thanking government for the effort and asking that they do more to further enrich the lives of residents in rural communities.