Medical practitioners in public health facilities in Jigawa have appealed to the State government to develop modalities and make family planning commodities accessible and affordable for women of childbearing age in the state.
The health personnel made the call while speaking to Online Tribune in some of the primary healthcare hospitals visited as part of this year’s International Safe Motherhood Day celebration. They decried the outstroke of the family planning commodities in most of the clinics in the state and said urgent action is needed to prevent women from falling into the hands of quack medical personnel when searching for services.
After visiting Dutse General Hospital, Rasheed Shekoni Teaching Hospital, and several Primary Healthcare (PHC) Clinics, Tribune Online gathered that all the PHC clinics are out of stock of the commodity despite the high demand from women.
Speaking to Online Tribune some of the clinics in charge (officer) on condition of anonymity said “I’m not in the position to speak to you, but as of matter of importance I can tell you the women were in dear needs of the service and commodities as they were informed, knew of the use and importance of family planning for family health”.
“The women of child bearing age in this state in both rural and urban areas recieved and accepts the practicing very well. I’m wondering how they are trooping to any health facilities for the services. It’s reached a situation that husbands helping their wive ta access the service”.
Some said, “In some cases when they came for the services and found not available, they will demands for commercial if any. We referred them to some tertiary institutions”.
She noted that “my fear is not all has the economic capability to afford the tertiary institutions services, they made fall in to quacks to harm them. So it is very important and necessary for the government and donor agencies to do some and save them from falling in to quacks health personnel”.
Also speaking to Online Tribune expressed dismay on the shortage of contraceptives in most of the clinics, saying “most of the time when we came they ((Medical Staff) will tell us it had (Contraceptive) finished, asked us to come back after some weeks”.
Malam Ramatu Balarabe a housewife said “Some of us, when we go we conceived before the weeks as our husbands will not allow us. And if we we did not serve them, where did they go to and very few of them they can wait or do a withdrawal method”.
