Gombe health facilities battle lack of Family Planning consumables
Health facilities in Gombe are facing lack of family planning consumables, our correspondent gathered on Monday.
Consumables are items used when subscribing a client to the various contraceptive methods.
Disclosing this lack in an address during an engagement organised by Saif Advocacy in collaboration with Advocacy Working Group with support from The Challenge Initiative (TCI), Family Planning Coordinator Saadatu Sambo, explained that the shortage may affect the uptake of Family Planning in the state.
According to the focal person, “We have been experiencing shortage or no consumables for sometime now there have not been supply of consumables. Consumables are items required while providing family planning services for instance gloves, facemasks, etc.”
Commenting on the quantity of commodities, which are contraceptives, Sambo noted that the last supply came from a private entity stressing that what is left is the reserve.
“We use to get from the national but we got one through UNFPA, So, what we have is not enough but almost consumed. The supply was not enough and it is almost consumed, for now if we have it just small in the store, reserved in case of emergency,” Sambo said.
Also speaking, Chairman Gombe AWG Alhassan Yahya urged government on increase and timely release of resources to procure consumables.
He noted that the group would intensify efforts through advocacy geared towards ensuring that lack of consumables become a thing of the past in the state.
“For commodities, it is not like we don’t have but it is not enough but for consumables there is none available.
“We know commodities are been supplied but the money for consumables are very important atleast 10 million naira for it procurement,” Yahya said.
On his part, Programme Coordinator TCI, Usman Yakubu stated that advocacy is necessary, adding that there is need for the group to press.
He said, “Resources come only when you ask, there is always resources. So, it is an issue of priority. At the moment the supply is lesser than the demand.”
Speaking, Deputy Director Ministry of Health and TCI focal person in the ministry Ronas Tula, lauded donor agencies for the support provided the state in the improvement of Contraceptive Prevalence Rate.
Tula revealed that there is an impending memo that would gear towards improved collaborations in family planning in the state.
