AN EXAMINATION OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF COVID-19 ON HEALTHCARE INFRASTRUCTURE OF PRIMARY HEALTHCARE CENTERS IN ABUJA MUNICIPAL AREA COUNCIL [AMAC] OF THE FCT

ABSTRACT

Healthcare remains pivotal and critical to the development of any nation. Primary healthcare provision is even more critical as it provides the basis for low income earners to have access to healthcare delivery. This study examined the implications of covid-19 on healthcare infrastructure of primary healthcare centers. The main objective of the study was to see how Covid-19 led to improvement or otherwise of infrastructures in primary healthcare centers in Nigeria. The methodology adopted for the study was the survey method; through the instruments of questionnaire and In-depth interview (IDI) the study collected primary data for the research on issues pertaining to primary healthcare infrastructures and the implications of Covid-19. The study discovered that, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic primary health care centers in AMAC were inadequate and in bad shape. The study also showed that covid-19 succeeded in exposing the fragility and inadequacies of the primary healthcare centers, it also had no form of infrastructural development impact on primary healthcare centers. The study further showed that there have been no visible efforts made by relevant authorities to address the challenges faced by PHCs in AMAC. The study recommended that there is the need for the Local government as well as all the other tiers of government to increase their allocation to the health sector. Local governments on the other hand should be more inward-looking and aggressive in the area of internally-generated revenue. This is to reduce the dependence on the federation account in financing health programmes and infrastructures in primary healthcare centers.