‘PHCs worst hit by corruption in Nigeria’

A coalition known as Health Anti corruption Project Advisory Committee (HAPAC) has identified Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across Nigeria as worst hit by the devastating effect of corruption.

It listed absenteeism, informal payments, procurement, and employment irregularities as most prevalent and most damaging occurrence of corruption in primary
healthcare.

The coalition made the submission in a communique issued after its meeting in Abuja to reflect on the findings from a study running over the past seven years on health corruption and accountability in Nigeria.

Signed by HAPAC Chairperson, Dr Idris Mohammed and Secretary, Bamas Victoria, the communique regretted that rules and regulations for primary healthcare are unclear, not communicated, and reportedly non-existent in some contexts, adding that informal transactions and individual discretions dominate primary healthcare.

According to the coalition, structural failures in terms of lack of physical security for facilities, funding gaps, ineffective central medicines procurement, political protection of staff and digitalisation gaps also contribute to health corruption.

It further observed a poor commitment to supervision in the health sector, evidenced by the absence of supervisory logistics and plans for designated and effective in-facility human resource management.

Acknowledging the willingness among horizontal actors like community members and media to challenge corrupt practices in health, the coalition lamented that responsiveness by health
authorities is not optimal.

The body added: “There should be no substitute for using the term ‘corruption’ in the health sector whenever it should be used because the naming of an action could determine the urgency and extent of response. Complaint mechanisms are lacking and ineffective, leaving health service users at the mercy of health providers and having no voice.”