Gombe State Programme Officer, Civil Society for Malaria Control, Immunisation and Nutrition, Samuel Chuwang has bemoaned the lack of healthcare infrastructure and manpower in Gombe State.
According to Chuwang, the poor state of healthcare infrastructure, as well as inadequate manpower and malaria commodities, are hindering efforts to eradicate malaria in Gombe State.
Speaking with Newsmen on Thursday, in Gombe, during a state meeting organised by the Global Fund and the Catholic Relief Services, Chuwang lamented that the healthcare facilities that could help the quest to eradicate malaria in Gombe are in a dilapidated state.
Chuwang said, “Lack of adequate malaria commodities at some health facilities, inadequate manpower in the facilities as well as dilapidated healthcare infrastructures are serious challenges facing the state.
“There cannot be quality healthcare services where the healthcare structures are dilapidated with no seats or electricity.
“There are also hard-to-reach areas that require a lot of resources to improve access to health facilities.
“So we are calling on the government to see how they can remove such barriers by improving road networks, good communication skills to help improve access to the health facilities.”
Chuwang also commended healthcare providers for their efforts in providing care, noting that their dedication has helped to reduce self-medication tremendously in the state.
“The attitude of workers in providing quality healthcare services to the people has improved. We saw this in most of the facilities visited.
“With the ACOMIN project, there has been a change in attitude and a change in the orientation of our healthcare providers.
“They are becoming more committed to providing healthcare services. There is increased patronage of healthcare facilities in the communities now unlike before when people go to the chemist or engage in self-medication,” he said.
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Also speaking at the meeting, the Gombe State Coordinator, Civil Society for Malaria Control, Immunisation and Nutrition, Mrs. Hassana Maisanda noted that the essence of the engagement was to deliver the requisite scorecards on malaria elimination in the state.
She said, “Akko, Billiri, Balanga, Dukku, Funakaye, Kwami, Kaltungo and Yalmatu Deba are the implementing LGA’s.
“The challenges include but are not limited to an increase in the difficulty of accessing hard to reach areas, insecurity affecting many parts of the country and drug resistance to the malaria parasite.
On his part, Programme Manager, Gombe State Malaria Elimination Programme, Ubayo Ali, disclosed that the state has surpassed the target in the distribution of Insecticide Treated Nets.
He said this is the first time the state will be surpassing its ITNs distribution targets.
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