The hospital taken over by bush Source: Sodiq Ojuroungbe
Sodiq Ojuroungbe
Three months after PUNCH Healthwise published an investigative report on an abandoned primary health centre donated by the National Boundary Commission to enhance access to healthcare for residents of Igbokofi community in the Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, a fact-finding committee has been set up to investigate the matter.
The investigative report by PUNCH Healthwise highlighted how the lack of a functional healthcare facility in the agrarian community contributes to high maternal and infant mortality.
The report with the headline, ‘Harvest of deaths: Ogun community where mothers, newborns die during childbirth’, was published on Sunday, December 17, 2023.
In the report, our correspondent chronicled how the only government hospital in the community was shut down due to a lack of health workers and the alleged government’s failure to provide necessary amenities.
The report also exposed how another hospital constructed by the National Boundary Commission, and handed over to the Ogun State government was never put to good use despite the fact that high rates of maternal and child mortality plagued the community.
PUNCH Healthwise was informed that the state government set up a committee to investigate why the hospital donated by NBC was never used and recommend solutions.
It was learnt that the committee is being headed by the doctor in charge of the Yewa-North Primary Health, Dr Ogunsanya and has members as members Head of Education Department of Yewa-North PH, Mr Oduyemi Tunde, and Ijoun Primary Health Centre matron, Mrs Tijani.
Members of the committee and some community members
Our correspondent gathered that the committee embarked on a fact-finding visit to Igbokofi on February 7, 2024, to speak with residents about the challenges they faced in accessing health care and also to investigate why the hospital was never used.
One of the committee members, who on condition of anonymity for security reasons told PUNCH Healthwise that the report made after the fact-finding visit has been submitted to the Ogun State Primary Health Care Board with a copy sent to the office of the Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker.
He said, “After the visit, the committee wrote a report, which has been submitted to the necessary quarters. We have made recommendations on how best we think the government can utilise the hospital facility donated by NBC.
“It is unfortunate the hospital is in that state and the committee sympathise with the people of Igbokofi. You just need to wait for the government to implement our recommendations, or you people (media) should mount pressure on them to do the needful.”
A community leader and a field missionary to Ohori Nations, Pastor Kunle Garb confirmed to our correspondent that the committee came on a fact-finding mission after the PUNCH Healthwise report was published.
He added, “It is true they came here in February and they told us that the government set up the committee after the report you did in December about our plight.
“They specifically mentioned PUNCH and told us that they came because of what was in the report. We told them what we were going through and how people were just dying in our community because we didn’t have access to good healthcare despite having over 9,000 registered voters here.
“We also took them to the collapsed primary health facility and the hospital the National Boundary Commission donated to the state government that was never put to use.
“They promised to report about it, but we have not heard anything from the government since that time.”
When PUNCH Healthwise visited the community again on March 26, 2024, it was observed that the plights of the residents remained the same.
Our correspondent was told that they have not seen any evidence of improvement and still struggle with limited access to healthcare.
The residents expressed frustration over what they described as the state government’s slow response and questioned whether the committee’s visit and report would make any meaningful difference.
They lamented that the lack of access to healthcare has had devastating consequences for members of the community, noting that they still record high maternal and child mortality rates, as well as cases of preventable illnesses and diseases.
A local farmer, Sanni Abiodun said, “We have lost several children to illnesses that could have been treated. Women have died during childbirth because there is no hospital nearby to provide emergency care.
“We have seen no change since those government officials came here, promising to do something. We are still travelling far to access basic health services, and many people can’t afford the transportation costs,” lamented a community leader, Mrs Funke Oduntan.
Other residents said the situation has become so dire that some of them have resorted to travelling to the neighbouring Benin Republic for healthcare services.
Oduntan added, “It is a shame that we have to leave our country to get basic healthcare in another. Even when we go to Benin, we still have to pay a lot of money, which most people here can’t afford.”
Thrice on three different days, our correspondent reached out to the Executive Secretary of the Ogun State Primary Health Care Board, Dr Elijah Ogunsola, but he did not pick the calls or respond to text and WhatsApp messages sent to his mobile number.
Also, the health commissioner did not respond to messages sent to her WhatsApp number despite reading them. Her line was tried multiple times on different days but could not be reached.
Earlier, PUNCH Healthwise reported that Igbokofi, a town with about 9,000 people, that borders the Republic of Benin, had experienced decades of deaths, while residents face an uncertain future.
The investigation revealed how pregnant women and their unborn infants are at serious risk due to a lack of healthcare facilities and the absence of competent healthcare providers.
For Igbokofi residents, the absence of this important facility is just one of the many challenges they are faced with as the community lacks other infrastructure like good roads, electricity, and potable water.
PUNCH Healthwise learnt that they have over the years lost loved ones while transporting them to the health centre in Ijoun.
They described the road as a source of great frustration and appealed to the state government to intervene.
The acting Baale of the community, Pa Jacob Ogunyomi revealed that in the last two years, childbirth complications have claimed the lives of about five pregnant women, while more than 20 children have died before they clock five.
He said several letters have been written to the government highlighting the community’s dire predicament, but none of them have been treated as urgent or important.
PUNCH Healthwise visited the abandoned health facility built by the National Boundary Commission in 2010 and observed that it was already falling apart, while the paints had practically washed off, revealing just bare cement.
The premises had been overtaken by weeds, even as the windows were broken and doors sealed with wood to prevent entry.
The residents said the hospital was built to bring healthcare closer to them but that the aim was never actualised.
While inspecting the abandoned hospital, our correspondent discovered that the damage went beyond the peeling paints and broken windows, as it was discovered that the floorboards were rotting.
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