A Need for Improved Healthcare Delivery in Ohaozara

This piece was written and shared in Forum for Ohozara Progressives in March 2013

Ndi ibe anyi ekene m unu (my people I greet you),

I plead with you to make out time and go through this piece.

I’m very concerned about the situation of healthcare delivery in Ohaozara. I grew up in my hometown Okposi and have always spent some days with my parents at home every year. My friends and relatives use the health centers and hospitals within Ohaozara and share their experiences. The situation at this time is that most of the healthcare facilities in our area do not have the capacity to manage medical emergencies. They also lack the capacity to treat some common curable health conditions in our area. The implication is that every one of us is at risk of dying from a treatable medical emergency or having complications/disabilities from curable diseases.   Why did I say everyone when all of us don’t live at home? An emergency can happen when one visits home.  It may happen to our loved ones. This is 21^st Century; we need health facilities that should be able to comfortable treat most of the common diseases experienced in our area. Don’t you think so? 

On Saturday, April 30, 2011; exactly 5days after my friends and I founded Okposi Education Initiative, my childhood friend, Ukpa Nwankwo had a road traffic accident and died the following day. I always shed tears on his birthdays and death days; it was one of my most traumatic experiences.  More so, my parents travel to Abakaliki treat conditions that any of the General Hospitals in our area would have been able to handle if they are functioning optimally. We have been losing many of our loved ones to highly preventable and curable health conditions. We can’t continue that way. 

Many individuals and groups have carried out free medical outreaches from time to time. It’s very good, we need more of that and I pray that God continue to bless them. However, the gains of such programs cannot be sustained if the healthcare system remains very weak. Apart from lack of modern facilities in our health centers and hospitals, the number of health workers is grossly inadequate. Lack of supportive supervision and capacity building trainings for the available workers also contributes greatly to the poor quality of health services in Ohaozara. If I’m asked to name one factor that is responsible for this, I will say it is LACK OF POLITICAL WILL. Therefore, our LGA s and more importantly the state government need to demonstrate strong political will in this regard.

I commend the efforts of dedicated health workers in our area who do their best under the challenging circumstance to do their job. The efforts of individuals and groups that carry out free medical outreach in our communities are also pleasing and commendable. (I’ve been involved in a couple). From my interaction with lots of folks, I observed that many people are as frustrated as I am. But it’s not enough to lament about the problem and do nothing. The question now is what are we doing about it? What do we intend to do about it?

 I must mention that through the efforts of one of our illustrious sons, Dr Nkata Chuku, Ohaozara and Onicha LGAs were selected to be part of the 5 LGAs where Global Fund Health System Strengthening projects are being implemented. I was part of the implementing team of the project in Ohaozara and Ezza South when it started in 2011 and Ohaozara LGA did very well in doing what was required of it to support the project. However, the idea is to use the 10 health centers in the local government to serve as a model of what government should replicate in the rest. I hope our LGAs and Ebonyi state government will do the needful. 

Over the last couple of years, I’ve been undergoing postgraduate training in health policy, global health and health systems management. But I wouldn’t be fulfilled if I don’t use whatever knowledge and skill I’ve acquired for the benefit of my community. I’ve decided to start an advocacy and treatment support program for indigent people (especially widows) in Okposi living with hypertension (with possible expansion to other communities). I will be making a presentation about this in 2 weeks time during the Clinton Global Initiative (CGIU) meeting at Washington University, St Louis in United States. Using the platform of my NGO – HAPPYNigeria, I hope to implement this beginning from the end of this year. We would also use the opportunity to draw attention of government and development partners to the health needs of our people. I seek everyone’s support in this. 

I would also want everyone to brainstorm what we as a people should do to improve the standard of hospitals and quality of healthcare in Ohaozara nation. I will want us to continue to have conversation on this. Please feel free to share your thoughts.  God bless you.