Amanuke: Snakes, Rodents take Over Hospital Structure

www.odogwublog.com brings you this report published in The Sun by Obinna Odogwu


The people of Amanuke community in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State had through self-efforts constructed a community health centre. The clinic was handed over to the government during the time of Jim Nwobodo in the old Anambra State would be allowed to degenerate to virtually absolute dilapidation. At the moment, things have fallen apart in all facets of the clinic. The vast landscape of the health centre is ‘adorned’ with dilapidated structures with dangerous reptiles and rodents taking their pride of place. Its entire compound has been taking over by bushes with exception of a narrow footpath which is dotted by budding spear grass that can pierce rubber footwear.
Coming into the entrance of the health centre, a first visitor may be scared back because of the glaring belly-prints of large snakes on the sandy soil at the rusty gate. A Senior Community Health Extension Worker, Mrs Eucharia Etim Ekegbo who works in the health centre told Oriental News that large snakes of different species prowl for prey in the area every day. Her fears were confirmed by our reporter who escaped attack on two different occasions during his investigation in the centre. At first, a swarm of bees descended on him when he went to inspect a dilapidated structure which served as male ward but he skilfully stood still as a log of wood until they flew back to their comb. Second was at another decayed structure which earlier usage was not ascertained as at the time of filing this report. There he met a rattle snake slowly swallowing a lizard.
Aside these, some of the health workers posted to the area allegedly absconded from duty leaving their patients to their fate. According to our sources, the absconding workers claimed that the community is remote village without basic amenities to make life worth living. Some of them live in Awka, Anambra State capital which is about 12 kilometres south of the community. Truly, Amanuke town cannot boast of any meaningful government developmental projects that can attract investors to the town. There was, according to the residents, no visible effect of the electricity installed in the community sometime in 2013 and prior then, as the electricity supply to the community would best be described as epileptic. They alleged that the officials of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) usually disconnected them from the national grid at Okpuno community in Awka South council area leaving Urum, Isuaniocha, and Mgbakwu communities which also share from the high tension cable, in the dark. The road which led to Amanuke from Isuaniocha and Mgbakwu through Urum have “remained in pitiable state despite all entreaties, pleas, letters, courtesy visits and all whatnots to the former governors Chinwoke Mbadinuju, Dr Chris Ngige, and Chief Peter Obi.” The people of Amanuke cannot boast of water borehole drilled by the government. They trek more than 3 kilometres west of the community to fetch water from Mgboji and Ori streams as few boreholes drilled by individuals do not serve them given their large population. Oriental News also learnt that there is insecurity in the area as residents return from their businesses or travel to behold their homes burgled.
Mr Ebenezer Onyema, an unarmed security in the employ of the local government who is also an indigene of the town told Oriental News that armed robbers occasionally attack the hospital and cart away valuable materials. This, he said, was as a result of their lack of security gadgets as the “government did not give us gun, machete, security light or any other gadgets.”
Recently, the solar-powered water pumping machine installed by the Millennium Development Goals as their project at the clinic was stolen by armed robbers at about 2am.
But the stealing of the water pumping machine has, undoubtedly, tripled the woes of the Community Health Centre, Amanuke. A nurse who spoke to our reporter on the condition of anonymity said that they trek to Mgboji stream and sometimes buy from water vendors to meet the water needs of the hospital. She told Oriental News that the health centre does not have drugs, laboratory equipment, a medical doctor, and electricity supply.
Hear her: “This health centre is decayed. So many things need to be looked into. We don’t have enough drugs here; not even the basic ones. The government is supposed to be supplying drugs to this hospital but they don’t. What we now do is to go to the drugstore and buy the drugs with the meagre revenue generated from here. Before, they used to bring anti-malaria drugs here but since last year the government has not supplied it to this health centre. They said they don’t have drugs. So we now buy our drugs from the drugstore.”
“We don’t have a medical doctor here. We refer patients to good hospitals in Awka on cases that require doctor’s attention. We don’t have a medical laboratory or lab instruments here, except few manual ones. And they are highly needed here. For example, we need this instrument used for checking genotype and blood group; we need the one used for checking level of blood sugar. For now, we can check for malaria, pregnancy, and HIV. But for these ones, we use manual instruments. We, undoubtedly, need the modern instruments to make this work smooth and more effective.” She also alleged that some of her colleagues have constituted themselves as a clog in the wheel of success of the health centre insisting that “on the part of the workers, greater number of them does not come to work as it is supposed. The majority of the work rests on the shoulders of some of us living in this health centre.”
Also speaking, a Senior Community Health Extension Worker, Mrs Eucharia Etim Ekegbo, told Oriental News that she rues the high level of decay in the health centre, insisting it’s high time the concerned authorities rose from there slumber.
Hear her: “It’s been over two months we had electricity supply last and at night we use the solar light they installed here even though it does not last long before it trips off. And you know here is located in the outskirt of the town and as such we need armed security. But unfortunately we don’t have.”
“There are some drugs supplied to us by the government. There are some we buy from the market because we can’t continue waiting for government. We don’t have laboratory instruments here but it is highly needed. We don’t have any medical doctor; some of the beds have no foams. Again, most of the structures here are dilapidated. The first time I was posted here in the year 2000, this remaining building which we are now using served as dispensary unit but now all of them have crumbled and decayed.”
“Big snakes of different species prowl for prey here. Just last week we killed one on this pavement. They come out every day. Just as we speak you may see one chasing lizard or rat and if you’re not lucky you may be bitten by it. There is one big black snake living in the plantain plantation behind this building that crows like a cock. It has red comb on its head like cock. We are just living at the mercy of God. I recall a sad incidence. Some time back, I went to the backyard to pick something but I screamed loudly as I ran back to the clinic. It was snake. But we thank God it has not bitten anybody” she added.
But when contacted, the Supervisory Councillor for Health, Awka North Local Government Area, Achalla Headquarters, Hon. Onyeka Umerie, confirmed to Oriental News that “Truly there are dilapidated structures in the Community Health Centre, Amanuke. But I have gone there to personally take assessment on the level of dilapidation there with a view to taking necessary actions. Incidentally, the new Chief Nurse in charge here just arrived recently and we have moved around assessing the available tools and the ones that are not available. There are too many things that need to be done. There are too many structures that are now in shambles such that it is now posing difficulty in the smooth and qualitative healthcare delivery. But I’m assuring you that Chief Willie Obiano will repair this place within a short period of time from now. Like I told you earlier, I have gone to assess the level of decay so we can take appropriate actions. We’ll write to the state government in that regard. The government of Chief Willie Obiano is sincere and serious, and he will do it.”
Umerie, while confirming the robbery incidence at the health centre, added that “Immediately Chief Willie Obiano took office as Anambra State governor, his wife Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano declare child delivery in every community health centre in the state free of charge. The governor on his part has declared keen interest in the health sector and is working assiduously to transform it within the shortest possible time. He told us that he would repair all the hospitals in Anambra State.”