Residents of Takushara community in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) have raised concerns over inadequate maternal health services amid rising emergency cases among pregnant women, highlighting urgent gaps in local healthcare delivery.
They said the situation had forced many families to rely on referrals to private clinics or distant general hospitals, often resulting in dangerous delays that worsen complications for mothers and their unborn children.
Their experiences mirror broader national trends captured in the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), which shows that only 63 per cent of pregnant women access antenatal care, while just 46 per cent of births are attended by skilled personnel.
The survey also indicates that only 42 per cent of mothers receive postnatal care within two days of delivery, underscoring systemic gaps affecting maternal and child health across Nigerian communities, including Takushara.
In the community, the situation is compounded by findings from the PHC’s October 2025 monthly summary, which revealed low antenatal attendance, no skilled deliveries, frequent referrals and shortages of essential commodities needed for maternal care.
Data also showed that only one permanent staff member is officially posted to the facility, while all other workers serve as unpaid volunteers, echoing residents’ concerns about chronic staffing shortages.
Mrs. Esther Simon, a local resident, told reporters that many women had suffered complications due to the absence of essential services, noting the primary healthcare centre’s inability to provide emergency care for pregnant women.
She added that the PHC lacked basic medical equipment and relied heavily on referrals—even for emergencies—forcing families to seek care in distant hospitals or pay for expensive private clinics.
“The PHC is not fully functional. We have to go elsewhere for scanning and testing. During emergencies, patients are referred either to private clinics, which are costly, or rushed to general hospitals,” she said.
Another resident, Ali Musa, said gaps in service delivery had pushed some families toward unsafe delivery practices. He noted that inadequate facilities discouraged women from attending antenatal clinics, with some resorting to traditional birth attendants.
“Some deliveries become so difficult that patients are eventually sent to the nearest private clinic or rushed to town for emergencies, increasing risks for mothers and newborns,” he said.
Health workers in Takushara confirmed that cases of haemorrhage, preeclampsia and prolonged labor were common, yet the facility lacked the capacity to manage such emergencies, leaving women at high risk of preventable complications.
Mrs. Islamiya Abdulhakim, a Community Health Extension Worker (CHEW), recalled a recent case where a woman in labor had to be taken to a private clinic because the PHC lacked the necessary tools and personnel.
“The woman needed a blood transfusion to survive, but we couldn’t confirm if the blood sourced from a relative was properly screened before it was administered,” she said, pointing to major gaps in emergency care.
Another CHEW, Mr. Thomas Jairus, said although a new solar power system had improved night-time lighting, the PHC still lacked essential drugs, a functional cold chain system and sufficient manpower.
“Only one person here is a permanent staff member; the rest of us are volunteers. We need government support to improve staffing and ensure the availability of drugs for emergencies,” he said.
Mr. Damu Gbogo, AMAC Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for Health, said Takushara’s situation reflected wider health system challenges, including outdated equipment, inadequate staffing and weak emergency care across many PHCs in the council.
He noted that only 40 per cent of PHC workers in the council were permanent, while 60 per cent were volunteers who often worked up to 11 days at a stretch and left when better opportunities arose.
He added that delays in drug distribution, including the supply of commodities close to expiry, further compromised healthcare delivery and forced families to seek care outside their communities.
The community’s concerns align with national efforts to strengthen primary healthcare. At the inauguration of the MAMII project, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to revitalizing PHCs and improving maternal health outcomes.
He said the initiative would strengthen PHCs to provide quality maternal, newborn and child health services, noting that safe motherhood was a moral obligation, not just a policy priority.
Pate added that every Nigerian, especially women and children, deserved access to quality care at the PHC level, stressing that functional PHCs were essential to reducing maternal mortality nationwide.
Residents of Takushara are now appealing for urgent government intervention to upgrade their PHC, recruit more staff and equip the facility with essential tools to prevent avoidable maternal and newborn deaths.
They emphasized that timely action would improve health outcomes and ensure women receive the quality care needed to avoid complications and fatalities resulting from inadequate primary healthcare services.
This report was supported by the Africa Data Hub and Orodata Science, highlighting critical maternal health challenges in Takushara and across Nigeria.
