When Okon Emannuel, 56, fell ill in June 2021, he visited a local chemist (drug store) four blocks from his residence in Midim, Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
“I believe it to be malaria. But after taking the pills the pharmacist prepared for me, I started to feel feverish once more,” he claimed.
Despite the fact that the Midim PHC was located in his neighborhood, he sought care at the “Polyclinic,” the Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) Operational Base, as his condition worsened.
Emmanuel claimed that many locals in the neighborhood share his liking for Polyclinic. How many people visit Midim PHC at that time, the one you mention? He asked.
“Perhaps pregnant women for antenatal care,” a woman who was listening soon added. Because it is superior, many people from here visit Polyclinic, Emmanuel said.
The poor customer traffic at PHC Midim at the time was not unrelated to its deteriorated condition. The PHC featured cracked ceilings, deteriorating roofs, and termite-infested doors and windows, according to a 2021 evaluation report by UDEME, a social accountability program of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development.
But thanks to the Nigerian government’s participation through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, this is not the case at PHC Midim right now (BHCPF). The PHC was restored and painted when I visited it in August.
“The fund has helped to transform this place. We have replaced the doors and the wood in the ceiling that were destroyed by termites and fumigated the place from the ceiling up and down,” Itohowo Duncan, the officer in charge of the PHC, stated. “We have more patients coming in here now than before.”
Additionally, a generator was purchased to supply the PHC with electricity, ending years of relying on the village head’s generator.
The local chief, Sylvester Ibanga, praised the federal government’s action in great detail.
“The health center has really benefited from it. Many items in the location could be fixed by them. To address the problems with the water and electricity there, they even bought a generator. We appreciate the government’s support for this project, and we are glad,” he stated.
