Obi raises alarm over understaffing of PHCs, warns of threat to Nigerians

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Mr Peter Obi, has raised concerns over the state of Nigeria’s Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), warning that widespread understaffing poses a serious threat to the lives and wellbeing of Nigerians.

Obi, in a statement posted on X on Monday, was reacting to a recent report which found that 97 per cent of assessed PHCs across 16 states failed to meet the national staffing standard.

According to him, the findings could indicate a broader nationwide crisis, with about 80 per cent of PHCs potentially not functioning effectively.

Obi said the situation should not be viewed as “merely a statistic”, stressing that inadequate staffing at primary healthcare facilities could have serious consequences for vulnerable Nigerians.

He noted that understaffed health centres could leave pregnant women without timely medical attention and expose children to preventable illnesses that could result in death.

“Health is the primary measure of development in any nation and forms the foundation of healthcare,” Obi said, arguing that Nigeria could not build a healthy and productive population without adequately staffed and functional PHCs.

He also criticised the prioritisation of infrastructure projects over basic healthcare, saying national development should be measured by the number of lives saved, operational health centres, availability of qualified health workers and the quality of healthcare accessible to ordinary Nigerians.

According to him, access to healthcare should not be determined by a person’s wealth or location.

Obi called on the government to prioritise investment in the health sector, strengthen primary healthcare, recruit and retain essential health workers, and ensure Nigerians have access to affordable and quality healthcare.

“We cannot create a New Nigeria while allowing our people to die from issues that a functioning Primary Healthcare system should prevent,” he said.