Some communities in Imo State are presently finding it difficult to access medical services because some of the health centres have been abandoned.
For example, residents of Ikpeze and Ndianiche Uno communities in the Ideato Federal constituency of Imo state are finding it difficult to access quality healthcare services.
Two primary health care centres which ought to alleviate the health crisis in both communities by providing basic affordable and accessible medical care are in a state of disrepair.
The development has led to anguish for members of the community who often have to go as far as Orlu and Owerri to access medical care.
Investigations revealed that residents of both communities, especially pregnant women and the less privileged often find it a burden having to travel far distance to access medical treatment.
A member of one of the communities told our correspondent that some pregnant women lost their babies in the process while some have died in the process of travelling too far.
The Woman Leader for Ikpeze community lamented that the situation is hard for pregnant women.
She stated: Many deliver babies on the road and they end up with complications. We have recorded cases of pregnant women who died while trying to birth babies because they didn’t get medical attention on time. We have a serious problem here, our people are suffering.
Project and Program Manager for Tracka, a civic technology platform Mercy Danjuma bemoaned the state of the uncompleted health centres.
She blamed the state government for failing to alleviate the plight of the people by providing them with affordable healthcare centres.
She noted that some of the abandoned health centres are constituency projects nominated by lawmakers who have served out their tenure from the National Assembly.
The Tracka Project Manager noted that if some of the health centres were functioning, it would save the residents the stress of travelling far for medical care.
“Some of these health centres that have been abandoned would save lives of members of the communities. Some of the many deaths recorded by these communities in the course of their travelling many miles would have been avoided.
“This is why we continue to enlighten citizens about constituency projects and the need for them to hold their elected representatives accountable,” the Tracka Project Manager stated.
On a yearly basis, lawmakers carry out interventionist projects in their respective communities.
These constituency projects are often smeared in allegations of corruption. Many of these projects across the country lie in despair even after billions of naira have been appropriated for their completion.
Annually, about N100 billion is voted for constituency projects for the 360 members of the House of Representatives and 109 senators.
As is the case with the health centres at Ikpeze and Ndianiche Uno, many often do not see the light of the day.
President Muhammadu Buhari had flagged off the revitalisation of 10, 000 Primary Health Care (PHC) Centres nationwide.
The president had emphasised that the programme would focus on the poor, especially women and children under five years in the rural areas of the country.
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