Healthcare workers and patients at the Anchau Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in Kubau local government area of Kaduna State said the World Bank-supported revitalisation programme has improved access to quality healthcare services.
According to officials at the facility, the Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) Project has helped Anchau PHC by increasing staffing, upgrading infrastructure, installing modern medical equipment, and improving emergency response capacity, benefiting more than 45,000 residents.
The healthcare workers who spoke to LEADERSHIP during a visit to the facility said the intervention had transformed service delivery and restored confidence in the healthcare system.
The facility manager, Umma Abdullahi, said the Anchau PHC had undergone extensive renovation and upgrading to a Centre of Excellence under the programme.
Umma said the facility received infrastructure improvements, modern medical equipment, additional hospital beds and medicines through interventions directly from the Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority (KADCHMA) and other development partners.
She said the centre was also among only two facilities in the Kubau Local Government Area to receive specialised equipment for infant resuscitation and newborn care.
“As you can see, the hospital has undergone extensive renovation and rehabilitation. Because of these interventions, we have achieved tremendous progress compared to what we had before, particularly in delivering quality healthcare services to the people,” she said.
Umma disclosed that the facility currently serves about 45,723 people across 36 to 37 communities and functions as a referral centre for five smaller health facilities within its catchment area.
She added that staffing had improved considerably, with the state government deploying nine additional health workers to the facility, alongside personnel engaged under various health programmes.
“Altogether, Anchau Centre of Excellence currently has 37 staff members,” she said, noting that a resident medical doctor had recently been posted to the facility.
The officer in charge of the laboratory unit, Sama’ila Ibrahim, said attendance at the facility had risen significantly following the revitalisation programme.
“Honestly, we have seen significant improvements. One of the major changes is that the number of clients coming to this facility has increased considerably. From antenatal care services to other healthcare services, attendance has gone up,” he said.
Nazifa Shuaibu, an intern in the maternity unit, also highlighted improvements in maternal and child healthcare services, attributing the progress to staff training and increased availability of essential medicines and healthcare interventions for pregnant women.
She said healthcare workers had benefited from workshops and capacity-building programmes that enhanced their competence in handling maternal health cases.
Patients also expressed satisfaction with the quality of care received at the facility. Iliya Usman said he received adequate treatment and medication during his admission and was expecting to be discharged.
Despite the gains, healthcare workers identified electricity as the most pressing challenge confronting the facility.
Umma, the facility manager, lamented that although solar panels and batteries had already been supplied to the hospital, the system had not yet been installed, forcing the facility to rely on generators.
“The solar issue is our biggest challenge. Solar batteries and panels have already been supplied, and everything has been prepared, but the contractors have not come to install the system,” she said.
She explained that the delay had prevented the hospital from fully benefiting from the solar power project, adding that several reports had been submitted to the relevant authorities.
Healthcare workers also raised concerns about retaining personnel in rural communities, noting that many newly deployed workers often seek transfers to urban centres shortly after their postings.
The facility manager, Ummi Abdullahi, however, commended the Kaduna State Government for improving workers’ welfare through enhanced salaries and prompt payment.
LEADERSHIP observed that the lack of mattresses and other bedding materials also remains a challenge that needs to be addressed.
Kubau LG Health Secretary, Dr Tanimu Ahmed Tanimu, said the PHCs revitalisation initiative has given people in the community confidence in public health centres and has also increased turnout, making them feel involved.
He explained that Anchau PHC has recorded at least a 40% increase under the revitalisation project, explaining that the facility got many renovations and was also upgraded to a Centre of Excellence.
However, he also identified electricity as a challenge that has hindered the program’s complete success in the area. “We have all the required installations – panels, batteries – but it was not connected to the facility for us to benefit from it,” he lamented.
Similarly, the health secretary noted that Anchau PHC still needs more structures to accommodate patients attracted by the centre.
Regarding the bedding, he stated that the facility management has already planned to purchase mattresses and other bedding using funds they received from the program to improve patients’ well-being.
