Ohaukwu, Ebonyi – In a stark exposé of governmental oversight failures, the Akpaka Primary Health Care centre in Ngbo, Ohaukwu Local Government Area, has been highlighted as a symbol of the crumbling primary healthcare system in Ebonyi State.

A recent post on X by MonITNG, a civic platform dedicated to tracking public projects, detailed the facility's shocking deterioration, where pregnant women are compelled to give birth under lantern light with unsterilized tools, endangering mothers and newborns.

The post, shared on Thursday, paints a grim picture of the centre – the sole public health facility serving over 3,000 residents in the Akpaka community. Rooms are riddled with broken roofing, collapsing ceilings, and peeling walls, rendering the building unfit for any medical use.

Beds and mattresses are damaged beyond repair, with no functional equipment, doctors, or qualified personnel on site. Patients must travel long distances for basic care or turn to unaffordable private clinics, exacerbating health disparities in this rural area.

This is not a new issue.

Advocacy group TrackaNG, first raised alarms about the Akpaka PHC in 2021, urging then-Governor Dave Umahi to intervene for renovations and equipment.

Despite letters sent to local senators and representatives in December 2024, followed by persistent appeals throughout 2025, no substantial action has materialized. TrackaNG reiterated the crisis in a similar post just two days ago, emphasizing the ongoing risks to maternal and child health.

The Akpaka case is emblematic of a statewide epidemic of neglect in Ebonyi's primary healthcare centres.

A May 2025 investigation by The PUNCH revealed widespread decay across facilities in LGAs like Ikwo, Ezza South, and Ohaukwu, including leaking roofs, drug shortages, untrained staff, and lack of basic amenities such as water, electricity, and restrooms.

In Ohaukwu alone, centres like Ngbo Maternity and Abarigwe Amoffia Health Clinic were described as mud structures overrun by weeds, with staff relying on personal funds for minimal supplies.

One facility served as both a clinic and a worker's residence, highlighting the dire conditions. Statewide, PHCs handle thousands of patients annually but often refer cases due to incapacity, leading to preventable deaths and strained tertiary hospitals.

Broader reports indicate this is part of Nigeria's national healthcare collapse. A 2022 Vanguard analysis noted years of neglect causing facilities to falter in providing comprehensive care, while a 2025 Orodata Science report detailed poor access in rural areas, including Ebonyi, where erosion and isolation compound the problems.

In Ebonyi, emergency cases tied to maternal complications and infections frequently escalate due to absent oxygen, ambulances, and power, with staff sometimes using phone torches for procedures.

Government officials have acknowledged the inherited challenges.

Dr. Ovuoba Emeka, Executive Secretary of the Ebonyi State Primary Health Centre Development Agency, stated that the current administration under Governor Francis Nwifuru is working to revitalize the system, with improvements expected within months.

However, critics point to a lack of recruitment in 16 years and insufficient budgeting reaching grassroots levels.

MonITNG's called on Governor Nwifuru, Health Minister Muhammad Pate, and agencies like the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, demanding urgent reconstruction.

As of this report, no immediate responses from government officials.

Community leaders and health workers continue to plead for intervention, warning that without swift action, more lives will be lost in preventable circumstances.

This ongoing saga underscores the urgent need for accountability in Nigeria's healthcare funding and project execution to meet SDG targets.