The Jigawa State Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Accountability Forum (JiMAF) has expressed concern over the exclusion of some health facilities from the government’s feeding program and the low quality of food served to in-patients in secondary and selected Primary Health Centers (PHCs) across the state.
In a statement signed by the acting co-chair of JiMAF, Comrade Isah Mustapha, and made available to journalists in Dutse, the forum revealed that findings from a spot check and desk review conducted by its member organization, ELIP-Initiative, exposed serious shortcomings in the health facility feeding program.
“JiMAF observed with dismay how in-patients were barely fed in most secondary and some selected PHCs in the state,” the statement read.
According to the findings, 36 health facilities in Jigawa are expected to provide feeding for in-patients.
“These include 10 General Hospitals, 2 Cottage Hospitals, 2 Specialist Hospitals (TBL and Psychiatric), and 22 PHCs. However, only 24 out of these 36 are actually offering food to their patients, leaving 12 facilities completely excluded from government provisions.
“The remaining 12 facilities were not providing feeding, as they were excluded by the government, meaning in-patients in these hospitals have to cater for themselves,” JiMAF lamented.
The report noted that an average of 1,796 in-patients are admitted daily across all eligible health facilities, out of which 1,552 receive government-funded feeding, while 244 in-patients in the excluded PHCs struggle without any feeding support.
A further breakdown shows that 295 in-patients are admitted daily in the 12 PHCs and 2 cottage hospitals, yet no feeding provision is made for them.
The forum called on the Jigawa State Ministry of Health to strengthen its monitoring and supervision mechanisms to ensure that contractors comply with agreements.
JiMAF also demanded sanctions against defaulting contractors and an end to the practice of purchasing food from roadside vendors for hospital patients.
Despite these concerns, JiMAF appreciated the efforts of the state government in revamping the healthcare system and urged authorities to take swift action to ensure improved feeding for in-patients across all health facilities in Jigawa.
