​Family Planning: How NURHI’s ‎Intervention Transformed Medical Facilities in Kafanchan

By Alex Uangbaoje, Kaduna

Family Planning (FP), ‎Units of the two major health facilities in Kafanchan, Jama’a local Government Area in Southern part of Kaduna State are unarguably some of the most equipped in the state today. 


‎This was made possible courtesy Nigeria Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI), who has been in the vanguard of championing the elimination of supply and demand barriers to contraceptive use and make Family Planning (or Child Birth Spacing as it is fondly called in some quarters) a social norm in Nigeria. 


In November 2016, NURHI, approached Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa Memorial Hospital and Primary Health Care Centre Kafanchan with an aim to remodel their FP units and to also steadily supply consumables and commodities for FP.


Attesting to NURHI’s intervention at the Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa Memorial Hospital, when a team of Journalists visited the facility,  Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr. Gajere Jonathan, said the intervention came at a time when the facility was facing serious challenges in meeting the demands of clients who come for FP services.


According to him, before NURHI came to change the face of FP unit in the hospital, the unit was in a sorry state, and was struggling to meet the needs of the few people who visit the unit. 


But immediately after they were done with the remodeling and all supplies were brought in, ‎number of clients who visits the unit drastically increased from less than 60 to over 200 monthly.


‎He said when NURHI came with their proposal to help rejuvenate the unit within 72hrs, he and his management team doubted how it was going to happen in that short space of time, but that he was surprised of their magic wand.


”I was highly impressed when NURHI came here and work within 72hours and left. NURHI delivered all the necessary facilities and we have been enjoying what they gave to us. 


‎”The intervention has set-up a conducive environment for family planning services and the Women are really enjoying the place, is so nice, that was why when some people came here to set up another family planning unit I said no. This is the best place Women can go. 


”The rights of the Women is well protected and confidentiality is also there adding, anything that has to do with stigma is been removed. to me I will insist everything should be done in that units and I assure you there is safety. Dr. Gajere explained.

 

 On her part, FP, Provider at PHC Kafanchan, Patience Akapson disclosed that since NURHI’s ‎intervention that has transformed the unit into a model one, they now receive more clients than expected. 


She said one of the major challenges currently being faced in the‎ facility is the ability to met the needs of the high number of visitors to the FP unit in terms of providing them witg consumables.


‎She explained that, most of the consumable supplied by NURHI for monthly outreach, get exhausted within two weeks because of the upshot of clients resulting from the unit’s upgrade by NURHI. 


‎”I am calling on the Kaduna State Government  to assist the work NURHI is doing by providing child spacing commodities and consumables that will help in reducing maternal and child mortality in the state.

 

“I commend NURHI for making this PHC comfortable for our women to aaccess family planning services and for providing everything we need for easy delivery of service.” Mrs. Akapson added.


‎Recall that the Kaduna state government had budgeted the sum of N100 million for child spacing  consumables and commodities which has since been released to the state Drugs Supply and Management Authority (DSMA), but is yet to purchase the items.


‎This is why Mrs. Patience is demanding the state agency to hasting the purchase of the commodities and consumables so as to make them available for women to access.


‎She however, thank NURHI for the supplies, saying “when we request for 200 commodities from the local government, we only receive 50 which is not enough for the demand from the women so l would say that women are fully participating in the child spacing method in the grass roots base on my records which has reduced complications during deliveries”.

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