The absence of functional and accessible private or public health facilities in several communities in Ikwuano Local government Area of Abia State is a major contributor to child and maternal mortality in the state, findings have shown.
Daily Trust reports that more communities across the local government are currently faced with such challenge and it is the women and children that mostly bear the brunt. The result is often the unacceptably high maternal, child and infant deaths recorded in the local government area, especially Obuohia Obi–Ibere where the reporter visited.
The absence of a primary healthcare centre in Obuohia Obi-Ibere community for instance since the inception of the community about 100 years ago has left residents frustrated, with many expressing their dissatisfaction with the government’s inability to attend to their health needs all these years.
The community is inaccessible especially during the rainy season, and travelling there on a motorcycle is like descending from a high hill into a valley because of the condition of the road. It takes a sick person from the community one hour, 20 minutes on a motorcycle to get to a major road before proceeding to another community to access healthcare.
According to a resident, Mrs Stella Onuoha, the community in its 100 years of existence can only boast of a poorly equipped primary school provided by government, while other amenities, including a healthcare centre, are left to the residents to provide for themselves.
Mrs Amarachi Chukwuemeka Atuma, another resident said women and children have experienced untold hardships, as a result of lack of a health facility.
She said during labour, women are carried on motorcycles to the nearest private clinic in another village which is about an hour’s ride on motorcycle.
Lady Ijeoma Oriaku said some pregnant women fell into labour at night and had to be carried on motorcycles to Umuahia, adding that some of them gave birth on the bad road on their way to the clinic.
Also, one of the leaders in the community, Chief Okudiri Usonka, said the residents have been forced to devise means of addressing their health challenges themselves.
He said the poor state of the road linking the community to other neighbouring ones has made accessing healthcare by residents of the community difficult.
“We do not have a government primary healthcare and people go through pains before getting medical treatment,” Usonka said.
“The non-availability of healthcare centre exposes the residents to lots of dangers, making some of our sons and daughters in the community to nurse the ambition of becoming health practitioners in order to address the pressing needs of the residents,” he said.
A member representing Umuahia North/Umuahia South/Ikwuano Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Chief Sam Onuigbo, said he had initiated the construction of two health centres respectively as part of his constituency projects in the community, adding that respite will soon come for the residents.
He said the health centre, especially in Obuohia Obi-Ibere, was very important because the community was landlocked. “Members of the community trek four kilometers to Ndolu. That happens when a woman is in labour!
“The women need hospital close by because Obuohia is the largest village in Ibere clan and the third largest in Ikwuano Local Government; hospital and health care is of high importance,” he said.
Onuigbo said he was very hopeful that the two health centres in his constituency will be completed and commissioned early next year.
He added that upon completion and commissioning, resident doctors and nurses would be posted to the hospital as provision for accommodation for the health workers has been made.
When contacted the Commissioner for Health, Abia State, Dr John Ahukanna, said the state currently maintains 292 Primary Health Care Centres and located in all the 292 wards of the state, as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
He said the government would review the need at Obuohia Obi-Ibere community in Ikwuano Local Government Area and ensure that the people enjoyed proximity to primary health care services.
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