Agaju Madugba, Katsina

A non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), which seek to promote the right to health and public finance management has scored Primary Health Centres (PHCs), in Katsina State high, in the supply of adequate drugs to patients.

”There is an impressive supply of drugs in most of the PHCs visited,” the CSJ said on Wednesday in a report after a survey of a cross section of health centres in the state.

The group said it conducted the research in collaboration with the USAID’s strengthening advocacy and civil engagement project.

Speaking at a media presentation of the report in Katsina on Wednesday, the CSJ Programme Officer, Victor Emejuiwe, also noted what the report described as high level of observance of routine immunisation at the health facilities.

The report said, “there is a very high level of observance of routine immunisation at the PHCs as most them have days for immunisation and usually record good turnout of beneficiaries, with the support of international partners.

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The report however described facilities at the health centres surveyed as being at various levels of decay and require upgrade.

“Apart from necessary equipment and other infrastructure needed in most of the PHCs, the common need in all of them include water and electricity.

“There is also the challenge of shortage of staff at the PHCs. It was observed that most of the personnel add casual workers, also known as volunteers. The use of casual workers is not a reliable engagement of manpower.

“There is also lack of 24 hours service as some of them work only seven hours and this poses high risk in the case of emergency situations.

“The state government should recruit more staff for the PHCs and also make adequate provision for their training and retraining,” the report said.