PHC Danwatta

PHC Danwatta is one of the 11 Kaduna State PHC Management Strengthening Project (KPMSP) intervention Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) in Soba Local Government Area (LGA), located in the Northern Senatorial Zone of Kaduna State. The PHC facility has seven clinical staff and provides 24-hour service. The average monthly attendance at the PHC for the last 12 months (August 2020-July 2021) is about 600, while the average monthly out-patient attendance is close to 250.

The KPMSP deployed its Facility Management module in May 2021, and the LGA PHC mentors who are trained to provide on-the-job capacity building to PHC managers began to guide the managers on facility management. As part of the facility management training, a staff of Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation (HSDF), the Soba LGA PHC mentor, provided capacity building on fire action to PHC Danwatta. This included the pasting of a fire action plan in a conspicuous place within the facility, selecting a facility Fire Marshal, identifying a Muster Point, purchasing and filling of sand buckets, and mentoring/conducting fire drills.

This training proved beneficial when at about noon on 8 June 2021, one of the facility staff noticed smoke seeping into the waiting area. The Fire Marshal was alerted and immediately raised the alarm by blowing a whistle that had been previously purchased for this purpose. Staff and patients were safely evacuated to the designated Muster Point where a roll call was taken to ensure no one was left behind. The Marshal proceeded to notify the Kaduna State Fire Service in Soba LGA while efforts were made to identify the source of the fire and bring it under control. The fire was later found to have been caused by a faulty electrical installation.

The entire exercise was well coordinated, especially because there had been a fire drill a few weeks before the incident.

PHC Badarawa

In a similar vein, Badarawa PHC’s Ward Development Committee (WDC) members who had earlier received orientation on fire safety from the KPMSP, planned, funded, and executed the construction of an emergency exit at the back of the PHC facility’s main building, which previously had only one door for exit and entry.

Badarawa PHC is one of the KPMSP’s intervention PHCs in Kaduna North Local Government, and this support by the WDC was provided in May 2021.

These are some of the ways the KPMSP is changing how PHC facilities are being managed through enhanced capacity and increased operational efficiency.

About the Kaduna State PHC Management Strengthening Project (KPMSP)

KPMSP is being implemented in 107 Ward Priority PHCs spread across 10 Local Government Areas in Kaduna State. The project aims to improve the management capacity of PHC Managers by developing and deploying a systems framework within which the managers would operate (job description, competency framework, management curriculum); and providing them with both in-class and on-the-job capacity building.

During the intervention, PHC Managers (Officers-in-Charge and their deputies) have received training on Data Management, Planning and Community Relations, Inventory and Supply Chain Management, Human Resources Management, and Financial Management. They have also been trained on Quality Management and Facility Management.

LGA- and Zonal-level Supervisors, and WDC members have been similarly orientated on PHC management. This is to improve capacity to provide supervisory and oversight functions on how the focus PHC facilities are managed.

By HSDF’s Health Systems Strengthening team and Solina Centre for International Development and Research (SCIDaR). Specific contributors were: Emmanuel Ashandobe, Abolade Oyelere (HSDF), and Salamatu Dau (SCIDaR)