Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) have not played any major role in the fight against COVID-19 in Nigeria, in spite of huge expenditure on the facilities over the years through yearly budgetary allocations.
UDEME through an ongoing campaign on how the negligence of Primary healthcare facilities constrains the fight against COVID-19, also confirmed that PHCs across Nigeria are in a sorry state and need urgent attention if Nigeria must flatten the curve of COVID-19.
"Primary Health Care centres in Nigeria, even if equipped poorly, are the hub for healthcare in the community and well-positioned as the primary point of care under the Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) National Policy.
NPHCDA said it recently organised a virtual training programme for primary health workers to help reduce community transmission of COVID-19 in the country.
But in May, when one of our trackers visited the Ikot Oku Model Health Centre in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, a worker at the facility said they had not received any training on how to handle COVID-19 cases.
