Family planning centres record low patronage in Ogun

The lockdown put in place to flatten the coronavirus curve by the Ogun state government has drastically reduced the patronage of family planning services, prompting stakeholders to seek for urgent steps to address the challenge.

The federal government in order to flatten the coronavirus pandemic curve, ordered the lockdown of Ogun and Lagos states as well as the Federal Capital Territory.

Following the action, many women and mothers who were supposed to patronise the family planning centres were unable to do so due to lack of transportation.

When our correspondent visited some family planning clinics in the state, it was revealed that the development may lead to a population surge in the state.

According to some health workers, with the high rate of fertility in Nigeria and the low prevalence of the adoption of contraceptives by Nigerians, the country should expect a significant increase in population, especially now that many parts of the country are on lockdown.

Speaking to our correspondent, a health worker, Mrs. Funmilayo Ogunrinde of Adigbe Primary Health Centre, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun state, lamented the low turnout of females procuring various family planning methods, saying the effect may affect the welfare of Nigerian family if the situation persists.

Mrs. Ogunrinde, who specifically mentioned the effects on population explosion, increase in poverty level and serious complications in child bearing, said the lockdown and inability to do family planning may bring about unwanted pregnancies.

She disclosed that only five clients visited her centre last week for family planning services.

“The number of patients that come to the centre since the lockdown began has reduced drastically. But, we attend to patients every day.

“Most of the clients that come to the centre for family planning are fresh applicants,” she said.

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Also speaking, Mrs. Florence Idowu, Chief Nursing Officer at  Family Health Centre, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta South Local Government Area of the state, agreed with Ogunrinde’s stand, saying the low turnout of family planning clients in assessing the center is due to lack of transportation.

She said: “Our major challenge is how to get people here. For those that are stranded, most of the time, I use my vehicle to convey them from their various destinations down to the centre.

“The number of clients coming to the centre to procure family planning methods have significantly reduced since the implementation of the lockdown order. Only few clients that have the means of transportation come.”

Idowu said, although, family planning services are free and there are enough commodities available at the centre, the lockdown had prevented people from coming to the center.

Sharing her experience of using family planning with our correspondent, Mrs. Abiola Adebowale said she had never recorded side effects with family planning, adding that the method she adopted has never failed her.