Primary Healthcare is the first and basic point of call in the health system. It addresses the main health problems in the community, providing health promotion, preventive, curative and rehabilitative services. It’s meant to address basic health issues while secondary and tertiary systems provide comprehensive healthcare for complex challenges.
In March 2019, Osun State Governor, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola during an event in Osogbo, made an ambitious statement that his administration will embark on rehabilitation, reinvigoration and revitalization of 332 Primary Healthcare Centers in all wards across the State. The statement did not only look ambitious, but close to impossibility as no State in West Africa has done such.
SOML-PforR Fund
In January 2019, the Federal Government announced that both Yobe and Osun States would get $49m from Saving One Million Lives Programme for Results funds. The States got the amount following their impressive performances at earlier programmes funded by the World Bank. Osun got $20m from the total sum.
“The $20m, which amounted to N7.3bn, was deposited at a special account in the Central Bank as it is meant for special projects on health. The funds became accessible in March,” Rafiu Isamotu said in 2020 during an interview in Osogbo.
“The way we access the funds is so unique. No one will ordinarily withdraw the money until a project is done. After the project, we will file all necessary papers and then it will be accessed. Apart from the committees set up by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola here, the donor agency also have a way of cross-checking the level of works done vis-a-vis the funds to be released.” Isamotu added.
Also, the Chairman of Osun State Primary Healthcare Board, Pharmacist Leke Ogunsola distanced the Governor from all withdrawals. He said, “when it comes to withdrawal, I’m the last person that will give approval before money is withdrawn the CBN account where it was warehoused. The Governor’s role was purely supervisory. We feed him with progress report, the amount we have spent and every other necessary details. He set up two committees to supervise the project. The first one was monitoring and evaluation committee, whose role is to ensure that quality jobs are done by all contractors. This Committee consist of members of all relevant bodies in the construction industry. I chaired that committee.
“The other committee is the Personnel and Welfare and its job was to work on staff strength in each of the 332 revitalised health centers and to carry out needs assessment. The committee was chaired by Dr Afolayan from State Specialist Hospital, Asubiaro while the Executive Secretary of PHDB, Dr Samson Oluwole Fabiyi was also a member of the committee,” Ogunsola said.
Visits to PHCs alleged to be in shambles
This reporter visited the two towns of Okinni and Inisha to assess the State of the facilities and operations of the centers. As the reporter has never being to Inisha before this assignment, he needed help of the dwellers to locate the facility.
“Which of the health centers are you going? A woman simply identified as Mum Ruka asked. “We have two in Inisha. One at ward 11 and the other at Olukotun area.” She said.
Our reporter asked which one is called Olunisha healthcare center band he was told it’s the Olukotun PHC. “Just be going straight. You will see a junction after the First Bank, turn towards there and ask when you move a little. It’s easy to locate. You will see it,” the woman on red top and Ankara wrapper said.
After few minutes drive, our crew located the center. The center was initially build by the administration of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola as the board on the wall shows. The electric bulb welcomed us as the crew moved to greet the five staff met on duty. The humming sound of the freezer was also noticed as it was working throughout our 27-minutes stay in the facility.
Also, as against the report of lack of water, the borehole sunk in the premises still supplies water to the facility. Our crew confirmed this by using the two washing hands basins at the facility. One inside the delivery room.
At Okinni, when our correspondent got to the center, it was gathered that those who came for infant immunization have left but no fewer than 8 staff were present at the center, while others were said to be on night shift.
The center lacks perimeter fencing, but all facilities were in working conditions. Even though, investigation shows that it’s not the only clinic without fencing, government needs to work on this for the safety of both staff and patients.
PHCs Funding
All PHCs in Osun State get funding through two ways; Grants from Health Insurance gate way and National Primary Healthcare Board gateway, while the third is the grant from Osun State Government. During our visits to the PHCs, this reporter found out that all PHCs have banks accounts. Officer-in-charge and the Chairman of Ward Development Committee are signatories to these accounts. Each of the PHCs get funding directly from these sources without interference from the State.
“Each of the 332 PHCs have their accounts. The grants goes directly into the account. PHCs will do their business plan and that will contain all what they need at the clinics. Bring it up here for us to cross check. We’ll send it to the state for approval because there’s another committee in the state established by the Federal government for that program. When it’s approved, they can go ahead and implement,” Fabiyi said.
This claim was also corroborated by the State WDC Secretary, Mr Amusat Taoheed Olawale. He said he serves as Chairman of WDC at Jagun Jagun PHC in Ede South local government. He said, “the WDC Chairman and the officer-in-charge are the signatories to the account. We receive money quarterly and we ensure that it’s spent on the needs of patients visiting the facilities. The only thing done by government officials at PHDB is examination and approval of the plans we send to them.”
At Inisha PHC, this reporter requested for the statement of the account and cheque book of the center. It was discovered that the facility has received over N2.5m within the past in the last three years. This is different from the State interventions. The statement also confirmed that the PHC has a sum of N474,566 as at December 8, 2021. No withdrawal has been made since then.
“This is our statement of account. We collected it this month (December). I, my second-in-command and the WDC Chairman are the signatories to this account,” the officer-in-charge, who preferred anonymity told this reporter.
PHDB Chairman, WDC speak on alleged contract fraud
In the viral report, it was alleged that the contracts for the construction of the PHCs were awarded to persons/companies who lack basic knowledge or are close associates of Governor Oyetola. The Chairman of the Board, Leke Ogunsola denied this, describing it as unfounded and a blatant lie.
Ogunsola distanced the Governor from the contract award, stating that all he (the Governor) got was just progress report. He said the board followed the dictates of State Procurement Law 2007 to letter.
“It’s a blatant lie. The reporter should have visited the Osun Procurement Office before coming up with such. We followed every dictate of Osun Procurement Law. My Governor was never part of the procurement process. I’m the final person that gives approval before money is withdrawn from the CBN account.
“We had two committees to supervised the construction process and all of did our job.”
“More so, I can say that the story was only cooled up to achieve a political gain. Most of the pictures in the story were superimposed and not the real stare of things at our facilities. None of our facilities can be in that state of disrepair.” Ogunsola said while reacting to pictorial evidence in the viral news story.
In his reaction, the WDC Secretary said, “we the WDC were also given mandate to supervise the contractor. As people who are beneficiaries of the project, it’s our duty to ensure quality jobs are done and we monitored it. The State WDC Chairman and all our members moved from one local government to another to achieve this.”
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