Godwin Jenner Newis, midwife in Kukuna town in Bramaia Chiefdom, Kambia District, has disclosed that the structure of the health centre is inadequate for the number of patients who usually visit the health facility for treatment causing the operations of the staff to be ineffective.
According to Newis, the health centre has one room with only two beds for delivery, and one room and a bed for postnatal treatment.
She told Premier News on Thursday October 22, 2020, that at certain times they are faced with more than six deliveries, and they find it difficult to handle the situation, adding that during this period pregnant women are faced with difficult situation.
He said that four sections constituting over 28 communities in the chiefdom usually visit the centre for medication.
He said that, at the health centre they usually deal with general cases, delivery cases, family planning, immunization and others.
According to Newis, the health centre also lacks accommodation for the health workers, stating that a majority of the 10 staff at the centre dwell in the community, thus affecting patients who usually come for treatment during the night hours.
He continued, “Before nurses could arrive at the health centre at night the patient might have been in a bad shape. The hospital is situated at the outskirts of Kukuna; there is a long distance from town to the health center.”
He explained that the hospital lacks electricity supply also, which sometimes forces staff to use their mobile phones when attending to mostly pregnant women who usually rushed at the centre at night for delivery.
He added that solar panels which had been planted at the hospital have been non-functional for over a year now.
He revealed that the building housing the centre is in such a deplorable state. “When it rains, water usually finds its way through the house and settles in the labor room,” she said
He also said that the health centre has no ambulance service, adding that when there are cases that need to be transferred to Kambia town they always find it hard to do so as a result of poor road network from Madina to Kukuna.
“The ambulance doesn’t usually get here at the time we may need it,” Newis said. She urges the government to rehabilitate and expand the health centre, provide more beds and rehabilitate the solar facility which used to generate electricity for the health facility.
By Ibrahim S.Bangura
27/10/2020. ISSUE NO: 7938