RESIDENTS and leaders of Omavovwe-Agbarha community have lamented the alleged continued absence of Health Workers posted the community health center in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.
The community has alleged that, despite the provision of borehole and a conducive environment, the matron had refused staying at the staff quarters and coming to work regularly.
Speaking to the Pointer, Vice chairman of Omavovwe community, Mr Daniel Edaferioka said, “The health center was built by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and commissioned at the era Chief Goodwin Adode as the local government council chairman and the state government did not equip it with drugs.
Below is the Two Rooms Apartment for Staff of the community health center
“The Matron posted here, we had an agreement with her and she asked the community to buy drugs in the health center which we did since 2020 and up till this day January, 2025, she is still administering to drugs residents of the community.
“And from that time till this moment those drugs may have expired and she is not always available anytime patients went there for treatment or any case of emergency.
“Anytime we have issues here, we will either go to Agbarha or Ughelli because of her unavailability and the place is always locked.
“It got to a point, the community called and held a meeting with her in other to stay the premises and she requested for water and light and the community sponsored everything she requested for , yet, she refused to stay.
“Her refusal stay at the premises is having hard effects on us but our community president on working on how to bring in another matron.” He said.
The women leader of the community, Mrs. Hope Odirin said, “We have a health center but it is not functioning because anytime we go there for treatment the matron will tell us that the drugs have expired.
“Anytime we go to Agbarha health center, we always see the matron and nurses that will attend to us but in our Omavovwe community, the matron has refused to stay.”
“At a time, the matron do come only on Mondays and when she comes, she wouldn’t not spend time before leaving and there was a time, one Mrs Mercy was under labour and because the matron was not around, she was sent to a nearby chemist to be delivered of her baby.”
“We are appealing to the Delta State government to help us in fixing the health center for it to be functioning because we are dying.” She appealed.
An opinion leader and the former president general of the community, High Comr Emmanuel Oghifo said, “I want to tell you emphatically clear that the issue of Omavovwe community health center is very worrisome because as we are getting older, we were thinking that the health center here will help us with at least first treatment.
“The health Manager posted here told us that there are no drugs and the community has to mopped themselves to buy drugs to stock the health center and make sure everything goes well as it supposed.
“I was very shocked when the matron told the entire community that she cannot stay there unless there is water and other things and the community made them available almost immediately.
“Ever since then, she has not been coming and she eventually come by 9:am on Mondays, she will leave the place by 11:am and when we confronted her, she told us that the drugs we bought for her have expired and that has become a very big pain on our legs.
“I can tell you that the Matron cannot stand here in this community and defend what I am saying now and we are asking for a change as the government is paying her money she did not work for.”
“We are appealing to the government to bring in another person who is ready to serve the people while the Matron who is not ready to work should be investigated.”
When contacted through these message, the Matron of Omavovwe Community health center, Mrs. Josephine Ofuadarho said, “May I know you please, are you an indigene of the Omavovwe Community or not so that I will know who refer you to for clarity.
“Please do come on Monday 13/01/2023 at 12:noon to do your face to face journalism because I will be at the head office earlier that day.”
