Health facilities in Adamawa IDP camps shut over ‘unavailable funding’

Midala Anuhu, head of operations in charge of Adamawa and Taraba, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), says two health facilities in Adamawa camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been shut.

According to NAN, residents at the IDP camps have lamented the closure of the facilities, adding that it has made access to quality healthcare difficult.

Anuhu, however, said NEMA and the state are making efforts to reopen the facilities to prevent disease outbreaks in the camps.

“It is true that the two healthcare facilities in Fufore and Malkohi IDP camps, which were being managed by staff of Adamawa primary health care agency, were shut,” he said.

“UNICEF was supporting the staff and providing drugs at the centres, but it has withdrawn its support.

“Presently, NEMA is making contact with Adamawa state government to see how the healthcare facilities will be reopened for effective service delivery.”

Speaking on the development, Mohammed Sulaiman, executive secretary of the Adamawa state emergency management agency, said the state government was aware of the situation.

“Initially, UNICEF took the responsibility for funding the facilities. Now that the UNICEF funding agreement has expired and there is no new source of funding, the healthcare facilities have to be shut,” he said.

“Skeletal services are, however, being provided at the camps by Adamawa primary health care agency.”

Both campsare said to have more than 3,000 residents, consisting mostly of women and children, including persons from Borno state.

Yunusa Gwoza and Abubakar Mai, IDPs in the camps, expressed concern over the possibility of a disease outbreak, adding that some children are currently battling malaria and other skin infections.