The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has vowed to investigate the reportedly missing 13,350 diapers intended for antenatal care in a Primary Health Centre in the Sambawa community, Kebbi and bring the culprits to justice.
At a one-day conference that the ICPC hosted in Abuja on Thursday, Dr. Musa Adamu, the chairman of the organisation, made this statement.
“Engendering Corruption-Free Primary Health Care Delivery For All” is the conference’s theme, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
“Recently, the Sambawa community in Kebbi State sent a petition to us regarding missing antenatal care items for pregnant women and newborn babies donated to a healthcare facility.
“Our preliminary investigation indicated that the missing diapers allocated to Sambawa Primary Healthcare Centre are 13,350 pieces, while the investigation by Kebbi State Primary Healthcare Agency puts it at 3,466,” Adamu said.
He announced the indictment of a male and a female employee of the Sambawa Primary Healthcare Centre for the missing items, adding that the commission aims to uncover the criminal activity and hold those responsible accountable.
He added that communities and civil society organisations were getting more interested in addressing corruption in the health sector.
The chairman said the commission was putting in place measures to ensure corruption-free primary healthcare delivery throughout the country.
He stated that the commission organised the conference, which was part of the efforts being made to enlist and foster public support in combating corruption in the nation.
According to Adamu, the conference was organized specifically to ignite conversations that will help improve service delivery devoid of windows for corrupt tendencies in the health sector.
“This has become necessary considering the sector’s critical nature and its role in ensuring a healthy society at all levels.
“The Commission’s choice of Primary Health Care in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as the pilot for the nationwide conversation is to create a comprehensive template that can be replicated in all the six geopolitical zones of the federation.
“Participants were carefully drawn from community healthcare stakeholders to have a holistic and collaborative approach to improving the effectiveness of primary healthcare service delivery,” he said.
He emphasised that the Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) that will be signed during the conference would present chances for the exchange of anti-corruption concepts and the utilisation of resources to address challenges that impede individuals from accessing a healthcare system free from corruption in Nigeria.
Muhammad Ali Pate, the minister of health, also spoke stating that corruption is one of the many issues facing Primary Health Care (PHCs) and that it needs to be addressed immediately.
He continued on to say that corruption in the healthcare sector could not be isolated from other sectors.
According to Pate, Nigeria had a bright future, but only if its people worked together and took the right steps would wealth materialise.
“So, when we look at the issue of corruption in Nigeria, which is a long-standing issue, it’s almost everywhere but how do you address it?
“It’s a huge challenge and it’s a systemic challenge. It is also a multi-institutional challenge, this conversation will determine what to do about it.
“The volume of mortality is on the poorest when we access Nigeria’s health utilisation and output in the continent, compared to so many other countries,” Pate said.
According to the Minister of Health, there is a need to strengthen regulatory bodies so that they do not become predators.
On his part, the National President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Dr Chris Isiguzo, said primary health care was the bedrock of any nation’s health system.
”It is the first point of contact for individuals, families, and communities, playing a critical role in preventing diseases, promoting health, and ensuring the well-being of our citizens.
”However, the integrity and efficacy of this vital sector can be severely undermined by corruption.
”Corruption in primary health care delivery not only diverts essential resources but also erodes trust in public institutions, compromises the quality of care, and disproportionately affects the most vulnerable in our society,” Isiguzo noted.
He said the union remained steadfast in the fight against corruption across the nation.
Present at the conference were representatives of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), the United Nations Development Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Others are National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM)
