Ebonyi: PHCDA boss, Ovuoba speaks on eradicating quackery in rural communities

…Urges Ebonyi govt. to recruit over 2,000 health workers

By Uchenna Okeh Abakaliki 

The Executive Secretary of the Ebonyi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Phillip Emeka Ovuoba on Tuesday proffered conditions on how to eliminate health quacks in the rural areas, especially in Ohaukwu and Ivo local government areas of the state.

Ovuoba, however called on the state government led by governor Francis Nwifuru to recruit over two thousand qualified health workers to assist in the fight against quackery in the one hundred and seventy one political wards of the state.

The Executive secretary, Ovuoba who made this known while addressing journalists at his office located at the centinary city Abakaliki, Ebonyi state Capital, said the 2,000 qualified health workers will cut across various cadres, including medical doctors, nurses, and community health extension workers.

He explained that the recruitment drive aligns with the government’s ongoing efforts to revitalize primary healthcare facilities and ensure that only qualified personnel deliver services to residents.

According to him: “We are proposing that the state government engage 2,000 health workers spread across these cadres.

“Many of our health workers are retiring, and we want to ensure there’s no gap in manpower while the revitalization of facilities is ongoing. 

“Any moment from now, the state will begin employing more health workers, including medical doctors,” Ovuoba said.

According to him, the recruitment forms part of a comprehensive plan by Governor Francis Nwifuru’s administration to modernize the state’s healthcare infrastructure under the Primary Health Care Revitalization Project.

The project encompasses the construction of new hospital structures, staff quarters, and perimeter fencing for security, as well as the provision of solar-powered electricity, water supply, and improved staff welfare.

Ovuoba noted that Ebonyi’s approach to primary healthcare revitalization is being celebrated nationwide for its depth and sustainability.

“In other states, revitalization may mean repainting old structures or patching walls. But in Ebonyi, every revitalized facility becomes a modern hospital with quarters, water supply, electricity, and fencing. It’s a complete overhaul,” he explained.

On the fight against quackery, Ovuoba said the government has activated anti-quackery task forces working in collaboration with local councils and the Ministry of Health to identify and shut down illegal health facilities particularly in Ohaukwu and Ivo Local Government Areas, where unqualified practitioners are prevalent.

He further revealed that Ebonyi is among the ten states selected for the Maternal and Newborn Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMI), a federal program supported by the wives of Nigeria’s President and Governors.

He explained that the initiative targets communities with high maternal and perinatal mortality rates linked to quack practices. Under the program, new sets of trained nurses, midwives, and community health workers will be deployed to rural areas to replace unqualified practitioners and improve access to safe, professional healthcare.

“The only way to end quackery is to provide qualified health workers and make government facilities functional. We are improving health posts, increasing medicine supplies, and expanding coverage so that people no longer rely on unlicensed providers,” he said.

Ovuoba also appealed to community members to patronize government health centers rather than unauthorized clinics, noting that the state has already established functional primary healthcare centers in all 171 political wards, with support from the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).

He reaffirmed that Ebonyi’s goal is to achieve universal health coverage and bring quality healthcare closer to rural dwellers.

“With the support of our governor and the First Lady, who has championed free maternal and child health services, Ebonyi is setting a new standard for community healthcare in Nigeria,” Ovuoba stated.