Abuja - Residents of Apo-Dutse community in Abuja Municipal Area Council, have complained of lack of drugs at the primary health care centre, while calling on government to come to their aid.
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who visited the community observed that most people, who were attended to at the centre took their prescriptions to patent medicine stores.
They called on the Federal Government to come to their aid by making drugs available to enable them enjoy good health care facilities.
Ismaila Yakubu, a panel beater and father of five, said that when his second son had typhoid, he had to take him to Wuse General Hospital for treatment.
He said that the primary health care centre in the community did not have drugs.
"When my son was ill, we took him to Wuse General Hospital so that tests could be carried out and the hospital told us that he had typhoid.
"I taught it was malaria, when he was treated, he regained his health."
According to him, if drugs are available and the clinic equipped, he will not have to spend so much on the treatment of his son.
Yakubu stressed the need for government to understand the needs of the people, stressing that this was the only way those at the grassroots would enjoy the dividends of democracy.
Mrs Cecilia Iliya, a widow and mother of four, said that she had to source for money from the little savings she had when two of her daughters had chicken pox.
Iliya, a petty trader, said that drugs were not available in the centre, hence the need to go elsewhere for treatment.
She said that government should understand its functions, and this must include the provision of basic health care for its people.
Although, the signboard at the entrance of the centre stated that routine immunisation was available, the residents insisted that the centre did not have adequate personnel for immunisation services.
"When we come here to give our children immunisation, nobody to attend to us, there is only one nurse, we have to wait for hours before being attended to.
"Sometimes, the drugs are not available, that is why we most women prefer to go to Wuse," Mrs Regina Aliyu, a mother of three said.
She added that cost of transportation was the challenge, hence the need for government to provide the health care centre with adequate personnel and drugs.
In his response, a Community Health Essential Worker at the centre, Mr Baba Jacob, said that the clinic lacked nurses and doctors.
He said that drugs were also needed in the clinic, stressing that the ones they had were bought through the Drugs Revolving Funds (DRF).
"We don’t have drugs in the store any longer; the little we are managing was got from DRF.
"We have to buy from them, which is the only alternative for now.
"We are calling on government, especially the chairman of the area council to come to our aid."
He said that most women who registered for maternal care were asked to pay N200 for card and registration fee.
He said that those who needed laboratory tests were referred to Wuse General Hospital.
- NAN