PERFORMANCE OF THE MICRO HEALTH SERVICES IN THE NIGER DELTA REGION

Abstract

This study evaluated the Performance of the Micro Health Services in the Niger Delta Region. The specific objectives were to: describe the personal characteristics of the beneficiaries of the health services, ascertain the adequacy of the physical infrastructural facilities provided in the health centres and to determine the performance of the health services in the study area. Data for the study were collected from Imo, Akwa-Ibom and Abia States. Primary data for the study were obtained from a structured questionnaire and response recorded from the respondents during Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). The respondents were the beneficiaries of the healthcare services and personnel of the various health centres. They were selected using the multistage sampling techniques from which a total of 300 respondents were chosen. However, 270 questionnaires were returned and used for analysis. Percentages mean score; multiple regression and one way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were employed for data analysis. The major findings showed that majority of the respondents in their active ages comprised of more female who acquired more education than the male.  On primary occupation, (39.2%, 47.1% and 57.6%) of the respondents in Imo, Akwa-Ibom and Abia States respectively were into farming and also belonged to different organizations and more to the religious organization. Based on the findings the study concluded that there was a gender difference in the utilization of health care services.  More female utilized the health care service than the male. Female are known as home makers and also perform other activities including taking babies to the health centre for immunization and other ailments. More of the female than the male had education. The respondents also belong to one social organization or the other and farming as their primary occupation, physical infrastructural facilities were grossly inadequate in the health centre across the three states of Imo, Akwa-Ibom, and Abia State.  This situation had led to fear misconceptions and lack of confidence of the people in the health care service, and further reduce access and utilization of the  of the health services, that the performance of the health care services was poor.  This study attributed it to the inadequacies of drugs, personnel, high cost of health care service and poor job condition of the health services personnel. The study therefore recommended that The health need of the female should be given more attention since they utilize the health care services than the male, adequate infrastructural facilities such as electricity, pipe-borne water, laboratory and ambulance services should be provided  to improve access of the people to the health centre, adequate and affordable drugs should be provided at the health centres so that people will be encouraged to effectively utilize the health centres, health services personnel such as doctors, pharmacists, nurses, etc. should be posted to the health centres to restore confidence of the people in the health care services.