The Primary Health Care Centre in Dei-Dei, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) remains a critical lifeline for residents of the host community and surrounding areas.
Established in 1997, according to the village head, Malam Saidu Hamza Sani, the facility provides essential services, including birth registration, antenatal care, general clinical services, and access to intervention drugs such as those for tuberculosis, among others.
The centre also conducts basic laboratory tests prescribed for patients, including Packed Cell Volume (PCV), malaria tests, genotype screening, and urinalysis. These services have been sustained largely through a stable solar power system donated by a non-governmental organisation (NGO).
However, like many primary healthcare facilities, the centre is grappling with significant challenges, including inadequate personnel, dilapidated infrastructure, and persistent theft of critical equipment.
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A staff member who spoke on condition of anonymity disclosed that out of the 14 workers at the facility, only five are fully employed staff members, comprising one Out-Patient Department (OPD) officer, one laboratory technician, and three community health practitioners who perform duties similar to nurses alongside other responsibilities.
The remaining nine workers, he said, are volunteers.
He noted that reliance on unpaid volunteers limits the scope of responsibilities they can handle, thereby placing a heavy workload on the few employed staff.
"Assuming all of us here were fully employed, the work would have been more efficient and less stressful," he said.
The staff member called for the recruitment of more personnel to meet the growing number of patients visiting the facility.
He added that the shortage of staff often prevents workers from attending essential training programmes and workshops.
"For instance, two of us are supposed to be in Bwari town for training, while another staff member scheduled for morning duty had to attend a meeting in the city centre. We had to call in someone on their off-duty to support an ongoing immunisation exercise," he explained.
He added that such arrangements disrupt staff rest periods and force the centre to send fewer personnel than required for professional training opportunities.
"This job requires time for rest and professional development, not constant pressure. Immunisation is critical and cannot be missed or delayed," he stressed.
He urged authorities to prioritise the employment of qualified personnel, particularly those currently serving as volunteers, to address the staffing gap.
Beyond manpower shortages, the facility is also battling repeated incidents of theft and vandalism.
A nurse at the centre revealed that for over a year, the facility has relied on commercial water vendors after the borehole's pumping machine was stolen.
She also recounted a recent incident in which a staff member's mobile phone was stolen from the laboratory through a window after the protective net was damaged.
According to her, most theft cases occur after intruders scale the facility's fence.
In another incident, a cable connected to the solar-powered vaccine freezer donated under a government intervention programme was stolen.
Abuja Metro learnt that the centre now depends on another facility to store vaccines for immunisation.
Reacting, the Chairman of the Bwari Area Council, Dr John Gabaya, expressed doubt as to whether the leadership of the primary healthcare centre had reported the issues of staff shortage and security breaches to the council for possible solutions.
"What I would advise is that they should put up their report and send it to us. We would then study the issue and find out whether the facility lacks security personnel to look after it or what might be the problem. Secondly, let us also know about the issue of staff, so that we would understand what capable hands we should render to make the health centre better," he said.
Despite these challenges, patients continue to commend the quality and affordability of services at the centre.
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A patient, Mrs Uzoma Eze, said she has relied on the facility for over a year after being introduced to it by a doctor.
"Since then, I have been coming here for my healthcare needs and those of my children. Recently, my children were treated for malaria, ulcer, and typhoid. Today, I also carried out some tests and was asked to wait for the results," she said.
Eze expressed satisfaction with the services and called for improved facilities and better availability of drugs.
Another patient, Hassan Idris, said he switched from a private hospital in nearby Dakwa to the Dei-Dei centre due to its affordability.
The ward head of Dei-Dei, Malam Ibrahim Galadima, called for greater inclusion of community members in the operations of the health centre, particularly in immunisation programmes.
According to him, involving residents as part of the healthcare workforce would help build trust and encourage greater participation in routine immunisation.
