The Jigawa State Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Accountability Forum (JiMAF), said it has observed that in-patients are barely fed in most of the secondary and some selected Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) in the state.
This was disclosed in a statement made available to Stallion Times on Friday by the Acting Co-chair of JiMAF, Isah Mustapha.
In the statement, JiMAF commended the efforts of Jigawa state government in resuscitating the healthcare delivery system.
“The recent award for the revitalization of over 100 PHCs is a clear testimony and resolve by the state Governor in fulfilling his campaign promises in adherence to the implementations of the 12-point agenda. This has demonstrated a sense of concern for improving health indices in the State.”
According to the statement, “Findings from a spot check and desk review on health facility feedings conducted by a member organization known as ELIP-Initiative have observed that when comparing the number of general hospitals and bigger PHCs that were supposed to provide feeding to in-patients in their respective facilities were 36 in number.
“This comprises 10 General Hospitals, 2 Cottage Hospitals, 2 Specialist Hospitals (TBL and Psychiatric), and 22 PHCs.
“However, only 24 out of 36 health facilities are providing feeding to in-patients. The remaining 12 facilities were not providing feeding, as they were excluded by the government meaning in-patients of these LGAs levels hospitals are left to cater for themselves.
“The spot check reveals that the average number of in-patients across all the eligible health facilities in a day stands as 1,796, a further breakdown reveals that 1,552 are from the health facilities that the government is providing funds for their feeding, while the remaining 244 in-patients are from 12 bigger PHCs without government provisions for in-patients feeding.”
The statement added: “A Further breakdown has shown that the average number of in-patients across the 12 Primary Health Centers including 2 cottage hospitals in a day is 295.
“The number of in-patients varies from one center to another. Sagu PHC has the least average number of 8 in-patients while Gwaram Cottage with the highest average number of 49 in-patients.
“However, the average number of in-patients in those facilities without feeding across the 12 Primary Health Centers in a day is 261.
“The number of in-patients varies from one center to another. Guri PHC has the least average number of 6 in-patients while Fagam with the highest average number of 49 in-patients.
“About 80% of the food served to patients is of low quality and quantity, and none of the facilities has a menu pasted in the kitchen; many Contractors develop the habit of not providing the required food while some are not providing at all.
“Some kitchens remained closed for a long. In some facilities, nobody can ascertain when the contractor brings food to the patients.
“Likewise, the initiative found out that in some facilities for a long period, the patients were only served with Pap (koko in Hause) as breakfast every morning and it was purchased from outside.
“Only half a mudu of rice (a unit of measurement for rice and other grains in Nigeria) and one packet of spaghetti is served, no matter the number of in-patients present at the facility, and dinner is no longer been served.
The statement also revealed that in one of the General Hospitals, a bread of N600 was shared among 6 patients, the contractor only brought 4 mudu of millet for pap (koko) in the morning, 4 mudu of rice for lunch, 4 mudu of ‘gari dan Funtua’ for dinner no matter the number of in-patients at the facility, thus, rendered some patients are left without food.
“In one of the PHCs, a contractor only transferred between N40,000 to N50,000 to the facility in-charge monthly for feeding instead of providing food items.
“Nonetheless, there is a contractor that is bringing a large consignment enough to cater for all in-patients at the same facility.”
JiMAF, therefore calls on the Ministry of health should strengthen its mechanism for monitoring and supervising health facility feeding.
“The government should include the 12 bigger PHCs among the health facilities that benefit from government feeding, direct all contractors to paste menus in their kitchens, and caution all contractors to abide by their contract agreements.
“The contractors who stopped providing food should be directed to resume or face consequences.
“All contractors should be directed to abide by the agreed menu because it was observed that most of the food provided for the in-patient lacks the required nutritional value.
“Contractors should be directed to desist from purchasing food from roadside food vendors for in-patients.
“The government should establish an independent Agency/Unit responsible for monitoring project and service delivery, this will help in addressing cross-implementation inefficiency in the delivery of services.”
According to the statement, the monitoring projects and services delivered by the same agency have seemingly compromised the standard.
“The government should look into extending this exercise to cover the monitoring of diesel supply and utilization in water pump houses and streetlights,” JiMAF advised.
JiMAF is a conglomeration of different Civil Society Organizations, Media, and Government representatives working to facilitate the reduction of maternal and child morbidity and mortality to the barest minimum in Jigawa state.
