Women and expectant mothers in Ikorodu, Lagos State, have called on the government to urgently prioritize the recruitment of healthcare workers, especially for rural communities, to address severe staffing shortages at Primary Health Centres (PHCs).
The residents made the appeal during separate interviews on Sunday at various PHCs across Ikorodu.
They also urged local councils to expand medical facilities, reduce long walking distances to centres, and improve remuneration and incentives to encourage health workers to accept and remain in rural postings.
Mrs. Monsurat Ajenifuja, an expectant mother at Ita-Elewa PHC, highlighted the strain caused by staff shortages.
“Large numbers of women come for antenatal services daily, but there are too few health workers to attend to everyone,” she said.
Ajenifuja noted that Ikorodu’s rapid population growth and urban expansion had intensified the problem.
“New communities are emerging, yet the number of health workers remains inadequate for the growing population,” she added.
Mrs. Yetunde Abidemi, a mother of two, called for the establishment of more PHCs to ease pressure on existing facilities.
“Additional PHCs will allow women to access antenatal care closer to their homes,” she said.
Abidemi warned that long distances deter many women from seeking formal care.
“Some women still patronise herbal medicine because PHCs are far from their homes,” she explained.
Mrs. Mariam Shittu, a nursing mother, emphasised the need to recruit more doctors and other health professionals to close the workforce gap.
“There is a huge gap in manpower due to brain drain in the health sector,” she said.
Shittu pointed out the imbalance between urban and rural staffing.
“Health workers posted to rural areas often leave quickly for better opportunities, leaving some PHCs unable to function effectively,” she noted.
The residents’ concerns reflect broader challenges in Nigeria’s primary healthcare system, including Japa-driven migration of skilled professionals, underinvestment in rural infrastructure, and growing demand in peri-urban areas like Ikorodu.
Their appeals align with ongoing national discussions around strengthening maternal and child health services, reducing preventable deaths, and achieving equitable access to quality care across urban and rural communities.
