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By: Bethel Toby
A medical expert in Rivers State, Mrs Chinenye William, has called on the Rivers State Government(RSG) under the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Commissioner for Health, Dr Chidinma Adaeze Oreh, among other agencies of government, to urgently rehabilitate the Marihu-Ndoki Community health facility, describing its current conditions as a major constraint to effective healthcare delivery and local productivity.
Speaking with newsmen recently in Marihu-Ndoki, Oyigbo Local Government Area, on the decayed condition of the facility, William observed that Marihu-Ndoki health facility has for many years suffered infrastructural decay, equipment shortages, and manpower deficits.
She appealed for immediate rehabilitation and action, noting that the decline has forced many patients, especially, pregnant women and the elderly, to travel long distances for basic medical care.
Mrs Chinenye William, a health officer in-charge of the facility, explained that revitalizing the facility would significantly reduce preventable deaths, improve maternal and child health outcomes, and restore confidence in primary healthcare at the grassroots level.
William said that such rehabilitation when put in place, should, include, modern medical equipment, improved staff recruitment, as well as, their welfare, and sustainable maintenance systems.
She noted that such investments aligns with the state’s broader development goals by ensuring a healthier, more productive population.
She urged the state government, especially, the Ministry of Health, and other agencies of government saddled with the responsibility of rehabilitation of dilapidated structures, to treat the issue as a priority rather than a routine budget items.
”Healthcare is not a privilege, it is a fundamental right. Yet for the people of Marihu-Ndoki, access to quality healthcare has become an uphill struggle due to the deteriorating condition of their primary health facility.
”During rainy season, we are forced out of service, as a result of the poor and dilapidated condition of the facility. I have been experiencing this since 2022, I resumed duties in the facility. Every attempts made previously for its rehabilitation ends in futility, as no attention was accorded,” Mrs Chinenye William lamented.
According to her, when healthcare facilities collapse, communities pay the price through avoidable illnesses, loss of income, and deepening poverty. ” Conversely, when government invests in functional primary healthcare, the returns are enormous, healthier workers, safer pregnancies, and reduced pressure on tertiary hospitals”.
She noted that the Marihu-Ndoki situation presents RSG with an opportunity to demonstrate responsive leadership, adding that the question is not whether the state can afford to rehabilitate the facility, but whether it can afford not to.
She further said that the declining state of the Marihu-Ndoki health facility is a stack reminder of the challenges facing primary healthcare delivery in Rivers State.
She averred: “Despite repeated commitments to health-care reform, many rural facilities remain shadows of what they ought to be”.
Mrs Chinenye William, therefore, passionately appealed to the Rivers State Government(RSG), the leadership of Oyigbo LGA, among other agencies, particularly, to urgently rehabilitate this facility before the next rainy season. She added that primary healthcare system, and neglecting it only escalates costs and human suffering in the long run.
”Rehabilitation should be comprehensive, transparent, and sustainable. Government should move beyond ceremonial project launches to measurable outcomes that improve service delivery. The people of Marihu-Ndoki deserve more than sympathy, they deserve a functioning health facility.
”The time to act is now”, Mrs Chinenye William submitted.
