Abuja community seeks better healthcare services

Residents of Pigba Sama, an Abuja community, have appealed to the government to urgently improve healthcare services at their Primary Health Care, PHC, facility.

They cited high treatment costs, shortage of qualified personnel, poor infrastructure and lack of essential equipment as part of their challenges.

They made the appeal on Friday at a community health awareness outreach organised by Nigeria Health Watch to commemorate the 2025 Universal Health Coverage, UHC, Day with the theme “Unaffordable Health Costs? We’re Sick of it.”

The theme draws attention to the burden of out-of-pocket expenses on households and calls on governments to strengthen financial protection in health systems.

Speaking on their experiences, Mrs Peace Ebenezer said the PHC’s challenges put pressure on families, especially mothers seeking maternal and child healthcare.

“They always complain because some of the parents complain about the charges. They are trying their best, using their own money to buy medicine so that they see our children look good and healthy,” she said.

She explained that delivery costs depend on several items mothers must provide.

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Another resident, Mrs Rita Justin, shared her distress over a case involving a mother of twins who did not receive timely care.

“They said they could handle it, but they don’t have enough equipment. They delayed the lady, and by the time they moved her to another facility, one of the babies had died,” she said.

Mrs Justin described nights at the facility as particularly problematic.

“Sometimes in the middle of the night, you come here and you won’t see anybody to treat you. I cannot recommend the facility to anyone needing urgent care at late hours.”

For other residents, the challenge is lack of awareness of health insurance.

Mrs Jennifer Okechukwu said she had heard of health insurance but did not know how to register.

“If I go to the hospital and tell them what is wrong, they give me drugs and I pay, but I will love to register because it will reduce the medical bill especially for people who don’t have much,” she said.

The Officer in Charge of the PHC, Mr Isa Tanko, a Community Health Officer, said the facility is overstretched and severely understaffed.

“We are just three government staff here out of the 25 of us working here, all others are voluntary workers,” he said.

Tanko added that the facility struggles with limited drugs, inadequate equipment and dilapidated infrastructure.

“Most of the times, the drugs, we get them by ourselves. Our toilets and many facilities need renovation. Even chairs for clients are not enough,” he said.

He disclosed that the PHC does not yet provide services to health insurance patients but had recently been visited by officials of the FCT Health Insurance Scheme.

“We were told the programme will kick start by January. With that, treatment is going to be free and it will increase the number of people accessing services,” he said.

The Village Head, Chief Zakwoyi Dogo, said the outreach exposed many residents to information they had never received about government programmes.

“Now we know that if a woman is pregnant and the issue is complicated, she can go to designated facilities for Caesarean Section without spending any money,” he said.

He highlighted chronic problems facing the PHC, including lack of government takeover, reliance on unappointed volunteer workers, and irregular supply of essential drugs.

“The hospital is not fully taken over by the government and in most cases, the drugs needed in the community are not here. Patients are referred to other hospitals because the in-charge cannot buy the drugs.

“I am appealing to government to take full charge of this hospital. Send more staff and send the drugs that are needed at the local level,” he said.

He added that the community would continue to educate residents on using the PHC as the first point of care, which he described as critical to achieving UHC.

Ms Asari Ndem, Senior Communications Manager at Nigeria Health Watch, said Pigba Sama was chosen for the outreach because it represents communities that face structural barriers to accessing quality healthcare.

According to her, the high cost of healthcare remains a major concern.

“Whenever anybody falls ill, the first question is: how much is it going to cost? That is what we are seeing here as well,” she said.

She added that the organisation aims to equip residents with information they need to demand improved healthcare.

“Our work is to inform people and give them the knowledge to make these demands so we can all enjoy good healthcare and a resilient nation,” she said.

Ndem said the concerns raised by the community would be translated into advocacy materials for policymakers.

NAN