The Abia State Government is considering the closure of all traditional birth centers (TBCs) and disciplinary action, including salary suspension or outright dismissal of Primary Health Centre (PHC) staff who abandon their duty posts, as part of efforts to curb rising infant and maternal mortality in the state.
Speaking at the second quarter meeting of the State Taskforce on Primary Health Care, the Chairman of the Taskforce and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu, expressed deep concern over the continued patronage of traditional birth attendants, which he said undermines the government鈥檚 structured health system.
He lamented that despite the significant investments made by the government to renovate and retrofit PHCs, pregnant women and infants continued to die due to unregulated practices at TBCs.
According to him, the state鈥檚 plan to retrofit 200 PHCs across Abia aims to improve access to standard and affordable health care, especially in rural communities, thereby discouraging reliance on TBCs.
Emetu stressed the need to reactivate the inspectorate department to ensure strict staff compliance, as absenteeism at PHCs was forcing residents鈥攑articularly women鈥攖o seek services from unqualified attendants.
He also urged the State Health Care Management Agency to apply for operational funds in advance to prevent delays that could derail progress made in areas such as family planning, routine immunization, antenatal care, and neonatal services.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Abia State Primary Health Care Management Agency, Dr. Kalu Ulu Kalu, affirmed the agency鈥檚 commitment to complementing the government鈥檚 efforts in the sector. He warned that errant PHC workers would face disciplinary actions ranging from salary forfeiture to dismissal.
鈥淭he government cannot invest so much and not get results. Going forward, anyone absent from their duty post risks losing their salary or job,鈥 Kalu stated. 鈥淭he best way to reciprocate government鈥檚 health sector spending is to ensure that PHCs remain open and functional 24 hours.鈥
In support, the Chairman of the Abia State Traditional Rulers Council, HRM Eze Linus Nto Mba, pledged to mobilize traditional rulers across the 500 communities in the state to deploy local vigilantes to PHCs, providing security that would enable healthcare staff to operate around the clock.
Other stakeholders, including representatives of the Police, WHO, UNICEF, and development partners, recommended strategies to enhance staff attendance and called for the timely release of funds to further motivate health workers.
Presenting the monitoring and evaluation report for January to May, Victor Ukonu, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of the State Ministry of Health, noted that while Abia achieved pass marks in all key health indicators, it is yet to meet the national benchmark of 95%. He attributed the gap to delays in funding and underperformance by some local government areas.