Thursday, January 22, 2026 — By Dalena Reporters
Residents of the Umuoma community in Nekede, Imo State have raised a stark warning that the ongoing collapse of their primary healthcare facility is endangering lives, highlighting what civic advocates describe as a broader systemic failure in rural healthcare delivery across the state.
In a report released on Thursday, civic technology organisation MonITNG painted a chilling picture of deterioration at the Umuoma Primary Health Centre (PHC), citing extensive structural damage that renders the building unsafe and unfit for medical services. The group said the shocking condition reflects a chronic neglect of primary healthcare infrastructure, despite billions of naira allocated to health in the state budget.
According to the monitoring team’s assessment, multiple ceilings have collapsed and walls are visibly cracked, while the absence of perimeter fencing exposes patients, health workers and medical equipment to serious security risks, particularly at night.
“When the Tracka team visited the Umuoma community, we discovered the shocking and terrible state of this facility. Umuoma PHC is structurally unsafe and clearly unfit for service delivery,” the report stated.
Despite the hazardous condition, many community members continue to rely on the centre because it remains the closest health facility available, illustrating the desperation felt by residents who must now choose between unsafe care and no care at all.
MonITNG’s findings align with broader concerns about the deterioration of primary health centres across Imo. Previous investigations have shown large numbers of PHCs in disrepair — a challenge that persists even as state officials have launched ambitious initiatives to boost health infrastructure in recent years. In 2025, Governor Hope Uzodimma flagged off the construction of 55 new primary health centres across the state, part of an effort to strengthen local healthcare delivery and bring services closer to rural communities.
However, critics argue that while such programmes have been introduced with fanfare, many longstanding facilities like the Umuoma PHC have been left to crumble, potentially undermining broader health goals.
In response to the report, MonITNG issued a direct appeal to authorities, including Governor Uzodimma, the Imo State Government, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, and the Federal Ministry of Health, urging urgent action to reconstruct, equip and staff the beleaguered facility with qualified healthcare workers and essential medical supplies.
“Healthcare is a basic right. The people of Imo State deserve better,” the organisation emphasised, underscoring the humanitarian stakes if the situation remains unaddressed.
The growing outcry among residents and civic monitors in Imo reflects wider national debates about the functionality of primary healthcare in Nigeria, where communities often grapple with decay, under-resourcing and governance shortcomings at the frontline of medical services.