By Magnus Emuji
The Civil Society Organization on Malaria Control, Immunization and Nutrition (ACOMIN) has called for urgent intervention in addressing the acute shortage of personnel and test kits for HIV and AIDS in Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across Delta State.
The call was made during an advocacy visit to the Delta State Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) in Asaba by a delegation of the State Advocacy Team comprising the Chairman of ACOMIN, Pastor Greg Sifo; the State Chairman of NEPWHAN, Mr. Ogberetitinor Christopher; the State Chairman of the TB Network, Mr. Onyeukwu Miracle; and ACOMIN State Programme Officer, Miss Juliet Obiajulu.
Speaking during the visit, Pastor Sifo lamented the lack of HIV/AIDS test kits in most PHCs, noting that proper screening was essential for the early detection and management of the disease.
“The only way to detect HIV is through proper testing, and healthcare officers need adequate supply of test kits to achieve this,” he emphasized.
On his part, Mr. Ogberetitinor underscored the importance of achieving the 95-95-95 global HIV target aimed at eradicating the disease by 2030, stressing that access to testing kits and sufficient manpower were critical to this goal.
Also speaking, Mr. Onyeukwu expressed concern over the inadequate staffing of PHCs, particularly the shortage of clinical workers, while Miss Obiajulu added that the situation had led to long waiting times, poor service delivery, and burnout among the few available health workers.
In response, the Director of Personnel Management at the Local Government Service Commission, Mr. John Akwakwa, acknowledged the concerns raised and assured the delegation that the Commission would look into the issues.
“We will take steps to address the shortage of staff and the lack of test kits in PHCs across the state,” he stated, promising to brief the Chairman of the Commission on ACOMIN’s advocacy message.
