Oko-Oba Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos, months ago, could be termed an abandoned building where reptiles and other animals lurk. It was home to goats, fowls and creepy animals, instead of humans.
 
Grasses had overtaken the isolated building meant to provide healthcare for about 550,000 residents of several communities in Epe area, including Ojaoko-Oba, Tagbati, Oluwogbe, Ajigbinwa, Aromi, Arakpagi, Oriba, Maire, Onikokan, Onijigba and Alaoufun.
 
Residents of these communities had lost faith in the facility few months after its inauguration when they discovered it was no longer meeting their needs. Their pregnant women were accessing healthcare either with traditional birth attendants around them or would have to be driven on a motor cycle on a two hour journey to Epe main town for healthcare. This, of course increased maternal and child mortality in the communities.
 
But after THISDAY visited and listened to stories of residents of the area, in addition to other PHCs visited (Baruwa PHC in Ipaja, Akinyele PHC in Abesan Estate, and Oke-Eletu PHC in Ikorodu) a report was done to bring the plight of the residents to limelight, prompting the state government to say it would work on the facilities in addition to other PHCs it said were currently being renovated and equipped at the time.
 
As a follow up, THISDAY visited three of the facilities few weeks ago to know if their conditions have improved, or whether the promise made by the government for their renovation and equipping were kept.
 
The recent visit to Oko-Oba PHC suggests the facility has undergone a facelift, while members of the communities are said to be patronising the centre. The communities do not have private clinics as a form of alternative.
 
Although THISDAY did not meet the nurse in charge of the PHC when it visited on a Thursday morning, feelers from members of the communities suggest health workers come between Mondays and Wednesdays weekly to attend to patients, while the nurse in charge is said to spend her Thursdays and Fridays at Bogije Local Government secretariat where she also work in the health centre there.
 
According to a resident, Kemi Osunkemi, the PHC has been active for some months now, adding that deliveries, immunisations and general treatment were being done in the facility by the nurse and other health workers who come three times weekly.
 
But what happens when people need healthcare between Thursdays and Sundays? She said: “One of the problems we have is the road. Cars do not enter these communities and transportation is expensive. If a bike wants to carry you from the road up to any community here, the minimum you will pay is N500. No health worker spend N1,000 everyday to come to work here seven times a week. If government do our roads, I know health workers will be coming everyday, because we notice now they are very eager to work, unlike before.
 
“But another thing is, we are even grateful that we see them at all in some days of the week, because if you had come here last year, you will know no single person uses that PHC. Now that it’s being used, even if its for three days, we believe it’s a good start,” she added.
 
Read more at https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2017/07/20/lagos-fulfills-promise-...

Oko-Oba Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos, months ago, could be termed an abandoned building where reptiles and other animals lurk. It was home to goats, fowls and creepy animals, instead of humans.
Grasses had overtaken the isolated building meant to provide healthcare for about 550,000 residents of several communities in Epe area, including Ojaoko-Oba, Tagbati, Oluwogbe, Ajigbinwa, Aromi, Arakpagi, Oriba, Maire, Onikokan, Onijigba and Alaoufun.
Residents of these communities had lost faith in the facility few months after its inauguration when they discovered it was no longer meeting their needs. Their pregnant women were accessing healthcare either with traditional birth attendants around them or would have to be driven on a motor cycle on a two hour journey to Epe main town for healthcare. This, of course increased maternal and child mortality in the communities.
But after THISDAY visited and listened to stories of residents of the area, in addition to other PHCs visited (Baruwa PHC in Ipaja, Akinyele PHC in Abesan Estate, and Oke-Eletu PHC in Ikorodu) a report was done to bring the plight of the residents to limelight, prompting the state government to say it would work on the facilities in addition to other PHCs it said were currently being renovated and equipped at the time.
As a follow up, THISDAY visited three of the facilities few weeks ago to know if their conditions have improved, or whether the promise made by the government for their renovation and equipping were kept.
The recent visit to Oko-Oba PHC suggests the facility has undergone a facelift, while members of the communities are said to be patronising the centre. The communities do not have private clinics as a form of alternative.
Although THISDAY did not meet the nurse in charge of the PHC when it visited on a Thursday morning, feelers from members of the communities suggest health workers come between Mondays and Wednesdays weekly to attend to patients, while the nurse in charge is said to spend her Thursdays and Fridays at Bogije Local Government secretariat where she also work in the health centre there.
According to a resident, Kemi Osunkemi, the PHC has been active for some months now, adding that deliveries, immunisations and general treatment were being done in the facility by the nurse and other health workers who come three times weekly.
But what happens when people need healthcare between Thursdays and Sundays? She said: “One of the problems we have is the road. Cars do not enter these communities and transportation is expensive. If a bike wants to carry you from the road up to any community here, the minimum you will pay is N500. No health worker spend N1,000 everyday to come to work here seven times a week. If government do our roads, I know health workers will be coming everyday, because we notice now they are very eager to work, unlike before.
“But another thing is, we are even grateful that we see them at all in some days of the week, because if you had come here last year, you will know no single person uses that PHC. Now that it’s being used, even if its for three days, we believe it’s a good start,” she added.

Oko-Oba Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos, months ago, could be termed an abandoned building where reptiles and other animals lurk. It was home to goats, fowls and creepy animals, instead of humans.
Grasses had overtaken the isolated building meant to provide healthcare for about 550,000 residents of several communities in Epe area, including Ojaoko-Oba, Tagbati, Oluwogbe, Ajigbinwa, Aromi, Arakpagi, Oriba, Maire, Onikokan, Onijigba and Alaoufun.
Residents of these communities had lost faith in the facility few months after its inauguration when they discovered it was no longer meeting their needs. Their pregnant women were accessing healthcare either with traditional birth attendants around them or would have to be driven on a motor cycle on a two hour journey to Epe main town for healthcare. This, of course increased maternal and child mortality in the communities.
But after THISDAY visited and listened to stories of residents of the area, in addition to other PHCs visited (Baruwa PHC in Ipaja, Akinyele PHC in Abesan Estate, and Oke-Eletu PHC in Ikorodu) a report was done to bring the plight of the residents to limelight, prompting the state government to say it would work on the facilities in addition to other PHCs it said were currently being renovated and equipped at the time.
As a follow up, THISDAY visited three of the facilities few weeks ago to know if their conditions have improved, or whether the promise made by the government for their renovation and equipping were kept.
The recent visit to Oko-Oba PHC suggests the facility has undergone a facelift, while members of the communities are said to be patronising the centre. The communities do not have private clinics as a form of alternative.
Although THISDAY did not meet the nurse in charge of the PHC when it visited on a Thursday morning, feelers from members of the communities suggest health workers come between Mondays and Wednesdays weekly to attend to patients, while the nurse in charge is said to spend her Thursdays and Fridays at Bogije Local Government secretariat where she also work in the health centre there.
According to a resident, Kemi Osunkemi, the PHC has been active for some months now, adding that deliveries, immunisations and general treatment were being done in the facility by the nurse and other health workers who come three times weekly.
But what happens when people need healthcare between Thursdays and Sundays? She said: “One of the problems we have is the road. Cars do not enter these communities and transportation is expensive. If a bike wants to carry you from the road up to any community here, the minimum you will pay is N500. No health worker spend N1,000 everyday to come to work here seven times a week. If government do our roads, I know health workers will be coming everyday, because we notice now they are very eager to work, unlike before.
“But another thing is, we are even grateful that we see them at all in some days of the week, because if you had come here last year, you will know no single person uses that PHC. Now that it’s being used, even if its for three days, we believe it’s a good start,” she added.

Oko-Oba Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos, months ago, could be termed an abandoned building where reptiles and other animals lurk. It was home to goats, fowls and creepy animals, instead of humans.
Grasses had overtaken the isolated building meant to provide healthcare for about 550,000 residents of several communities in Epe area, including Ojaoko-Oba, Tagbati, Oluwogbe, Ajigbinwa, Aromi, Arakpagi, Oriba, Maire, Onikokan, Onijigba and Alaoufun.
Residents of these communities had lost faith in the facility few months after its inauguration when they discovered it was no longer meeting their needs. Their pregnant women were accessing healthcare either with traditional birth attendants around them or would have to be driven on a motor cycle on a two hour journey to Epe main town for healthcare. This, of course increased maternal and child mortality in the communities.
But after THISDAY visited and listened to stories of residents of the area, in addition to other PHCs visited (Baruwa PHC in Ipaja, Akinyele PHC in Abesan Estate, and Oke-Eletu PHC in Ikorodu) a report was done to bring the plight of the residents to limelight, prompting the state government to say it would work on the facilities in addition to other PHCs it said were currently being renovated and equipped at the time.
As a follow up, THISDAY visited three of the facilities few weeks ago to know if their conditions have improved, or whether the promise made by the government for their renovation and equipping were kept.
The recent visit to Oko-Oba PHC suggests the facility has undergone a facelift, while members of the communities are said to be patronising the centre. The communities do not have private clinics as a form of alternative.
Although THISDAY did not meet the nurse in charge of the PHC when it visited on a Thursday morning, feelers from members of the communities suggest health workers come between Mondays and Wednesdays weekly to attend to patients, while the nurse in charge is said to spend her Thursdays and Fridays at Bogije Local Government secretariat where she also work in the health centre there.
According to a resident, Kemi Osunkemi, the PHC has been active for some months now, adding that deliveries, immunisations and general treatment were being done in the facility by the nurse and other health workers who come three times weekly.
But what happens when people need healthcare between Thursdays and Sundays? She said: “One of the problems we have is the road. Cars do not enter these communities and transportation is expensive. If a bike wants to carry you from the road up to any community here, the minimum you will pay is N500. No health worker spend N1,000 everyday to come to work here seven times a week. If government do our roads, I know health workers will be coming everyday, because we notice now they are very eager to work, unlike before.
“But another thing is, we are even grateful that we see them at all in some days of the week, because if you had come here last year, you will know no single person uses that PHC. Now that it’s being used, even if its for three days, we believe it’s a good start,” she added.