Group fumes over dilapidated healthcare facilities in Kaduna

From:Femi Oyelola in Kaduna

A group under the auspices of the C19 response mechanism has expressed dismay that many health facilities are housed in dilapidated buildings that have significantly deteriorated over time.
The Kaduna State program officer of C19, Abel Yahaya Hayas, asserted this during an interaction with the media in Kaduna yesterday.
According to him, its ongoing implementation of the Community-Led Monitoring project observed that many health facilities are housed in aging buildings that have significantly deteriorated over time.
These structures, according to him, often exhibit visible cracks and leaks, roofs, and are on the verge of collapse, raising serious safety concerns for both patients and healthcare workers.
He added the compromised states of these buildings not only undermine the quality of healthcare services but also deter community members from seeking care. Many of these facilities are long overdue for extensive renovations or complete rebuilding to meet the required standards of safety, functionality, and patient comfort.
Mr Hayas lamented that there are also significant issues with the lack of functional medical devices in some primary healthcare centers.
These, according to him, include essential diagnostic tools such as weighing scales, sphygmomanometers, and thermometers. Without these functioning devices, healthcare workers are unable to perform basic procedures, which then result in delays and misdiagnoses.
He added that frequent power outages significantly strain healthcare delivery, particularly impacting services during nighttime.
Similarly, he explained that the lack of water supply in some facilities is a persistent issue. Insufficient access to clean water raises the risk of infections, hinders patient recovery, and compromises overall public health.
Additionally, this situation increases the burden on healthcare staff, who must search for water sources, ultimately reducing their morale and efficiency
Speaking on the role of Global Fund and AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (ATM) Networks Hayas said comprising of Civil Society in Malaria Control, Immunization and Nutrition (ACOMIN), Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), and Tuberculosis Network (TB Network) have been re-engaged by the National Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS (NACA) to serve as Technical Service Organizations (TSOs) on the Grant Cycle Seven (GC7).