COVID-19 response: NGO calls for adequate manpower supply in Gombe PHC
Personnel
By Hajara Leman
COVID-19 response: NGO decries lack of qualified medical personnel at Gombe PHCs 2021 (NAN) Non Governmental Organization, Follow the Money Initiative, has called on Gombe state government to provide adequate manpower to meet the standard of World Health Organization (WHO) .
Malama Hadiya Usman, Gombe State Lead, Follow the Money Initiative, said this in Gombe on Tuesday during a town hall meeting on COVID-19 response at Kumbiyakumbiya PHC.
NAN reports that Follow the Money Initiative is a participatory advocacy-based initiative that seeks proper use of government and international aid funds at the grassroots.
She said most of the health care centres could not meet the requirements by the WHO which recommends that each facility should have two nurses, midwives and a Doctor for administration of the COVID-19 vaccines.
The coordinator said in Gombe state there were no doctors, nurses and midwives at the six PHCs identified in the three senatorial districts for sampling.
She said the organization visited Kalargu,Kentengeteng in Gombe South,Bojude and Kumbiyakumbiya in Gombe North and Deba and Kwadon in Central.
Usman also observed that most residents of communities where the facilities were located had not benefited from the vaccines due to lack of proper sensitization instead the beneficiaries were from other places.
She said each of the primary health care centres was allocated 290 doses of COVID-19 vaccines but due to lack of functional storage facilities at the PHCs they kept the vaccines somewhere.
According to her, the vaccines was supposed to be kept at the PHCs not outside the PHCs because they need to use it may arise anytime.
She further said accessing accurate data from the Primary Health Facilities was their major constraint.
Reacting to the organisation’s findings, Mr Felix Gambo Director Research and Statistics Gombe state Primary Health Care Development Agency, expressed dissatisfaction with the issues raised by the organisation.
He said the 114 PHCs in Gombe had at least moved to the next level because the present administration in the state have equipped the PHCs and they were providing optimum services.
He said they have adequate staffing although not doctors but Community Health Extension Workers at the various primary health facilities.
He advised the organization to go back and synchronized their findings because the data and figures given to them by the persons that conducted the survey were not accurate.
He said “if you need accurate data and information do not hesitate to come to the Primary Health Care Agency.” (NAN)
