Primary Health Care (PHC) centers in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, are currently struggling to keep up with the state’s vaccination targets and expectations as most of their cold chain facilities for vaccine storage are mostly not working.

As a result, immunisation exercises have been reduced to mostly once a week to fully utilise the vaccines at a go.

This is a similar situation for the COVID-19 vaccination exercise in some of the twenty (22) PHCs in the 11 wards in Uyo due to lack of or inadequate storage facilities.

Staff at the PHCs now use their personal fund to buy fuel and other consumables to keep the lights on in order to use the hardly functional vaccine freezers at their facility.

An investigation by The Nation reveals that if nothing is done to address this challenge, PHC centres across the state capital may begin to record mass wastage of vaccines, which will throw a spanner in the works in efforts to immunise children under the age of five against vaccine-preventable diseases.

Speaking with our Correspondent, Nsikan Isaac, the Cold Chain Officer for Uyo Base PHC centre, said he could not even afford to fall sick because it would be difficult for another officer to cope with the challenges of keeping the vaccines safe and effective, while also battling with running the facility with his own funds most times.

He said: “After the state cold chain office, this facility’s cold chain office is next because Uyo is the capital of the state. We however have some challenges. For example, we don’t have a PHCN light here connected to the cold chain. I believe the Chairman of Uyo LGA can do this. However, if the partners can help us, we would really appreciate it.

“We also have a storage capacity challenge. This is one of the things I pray that the partners should come and help us with. As I talk to you, Uyo Local Government cold chain does not have a fridge that can generate ice packs.

“We used to have it before, but in 2020, one of the compartments that produce ice packs got damaged. I have communicated to the appropriate authority that I know, and up till now, there is no help in this respect.

“I have two fridges. One is mainly for vaccines, while the other has two compartments – a vaccine storage compartment and freezing compartment which is supposed to produce ice packs, but it is bad.

“Another challenge we have with the fridge is that since there is no PHCN light here, the fridge doesn’t work. I am sure if we have light, then the fridge would be used properly.

“We also do not have support from anywhere to be running generators every day. This fridge, without light, cannot work. However, the other can work without light but the capacity is not enough to put more vaccines.

“To avoid the vaccines losing their efficacy, we run around looking for where to purchase ice packs to maintain the vaccines. I use my personal fund to do this. I also generate ice packs from my house if there is light. I do all these to ensure that none of the vaccines get spoiled or lose efficacy. I sometimes use my salary to keep the fridge on using my generator. This is a big challenge that I have.”

Speaking with The Nation, Mrs Emem Umoren, the Chief Nursing Officer and Ward Focal Person in charge of Etoi 1, PHC, Mbiabong, added: “I buy gloves, cotton wool, with my own money. The government has not been supplying this for us or providing funding for it. We also do not have any incentives, imprest, apart from our salaries.

“For now, we do not have a shortage of vaccines. However, in terms of storage of the vaccines, presently, my freezer is not working well. So, we come every week to the LGA to get the vaccines. We need a better storage facility as the freezer we have is very old and damaged.”