Four challenges the rainy seasons adds to delivering healthcare in Cross River, Nigeria

Four challenges the rainy seasons adds to delivering healthcare in Cross River, Nigeria

“I am Mr Patrick A.Njok and my position in MSF is a driver. A driver by profession, I love the job. The primary aspect of my job is to drive emergency patients from the MSF facility to the referral hospital.”

Patrick has been working for MSF for two years, ensuring that patients in need of essential medical care in Cross River get to hospital in time. Cross river is a region in southern Nigeria where access to medical care has always been difficult. Communities in these areas, including an estimated 15,000 refugees from Cameroon, don’t have adequate clean water or phone network and lack adequate healthcare facilities. MSF currently runs basic healthcare clinics for people in need of services such as antenatal care or malaria treatment, and then refers any more serious cases to other hospitals in the area - Patrick is a key part of this.

MSF driver Patrick A.Njok in Cross River Patrick, MSF driver, sits under a tree after driving through the long journey on a difficult terrain. The road is usually difficult to use when it rains as it becomes slippery, and trees fall delaying the journey. In spite of these challenges Patrick and other MSF drivers face, they keep performing their duties. He said that something needs to be done to make the road motorable.

​MSF driver Patrick A.Njok in Cross River
​Patrick, MSF driver, sits under a tree after driving through the long journey on a difficult terrain. The road is usually difficult to use when it rains as it becomes slippery, and trees fall delaying the journey. In spite of these challenges Patrick and other MSF drivers face, they keep performing their duties. He said that something needs to be done to make the road motorable.

Even during the dry season, the area is remote and rural, where there is little to no public transportation for people. The rainy season, however, brings a whole host of new challenges.

1. Fallen trees

“I drive emergency patients to other referral hospitals who can handle more complex issues than we can here. But in Cross river, this is not always simple. The challenge we have is firstly, the weather. When rainy season comes, there are windstorms, and these knock down the trees. It can happen suddenly, when you are already out on the road because the rain can come at any time. If you don’t take a machete, a cutlass or a chainsaw with you, you can end up getting blocked by the fallen trees until the villagers can help you remove them. This can seriously delay patients getting to hospitals, which can have potentially life-threatening consequences.”

A view of some part of Old Ndebeji, a remote community in Akamkpa local government area of Cross River where MSF supports a primary healthcare facility. The terrain is hilly with bad roads. Accessing this community is a challenge for MSF especially during the rainy season.
A view of some part of Old Ndebeji, a remote community in Akamkpa local government area of Cross River where MSF supports a primary healthcare facility. The terrain is hilly with bad roads. Accessing this community is a challenge for MSF especially during the rainy season.

2. Waterlogged roads

“The second challenge we have is the road. From May to October, when it is raining very heavily, the soil texture is very difficult to drive on. Hilly, muddy and slippery. I know some of my colleagues who have spent almost half of the day trying to dig out the car when we get stuck. Even the off-road vehicles we use sometimes struggle in the mud and you become stuck, wheels spinning but not moving anywhere! We have to make sure all cars come with all-terrain tyres and an electrical winch so that the driver can get himself out.”

MSF van drives through mud carrying staff to the primary healthcare facility it is supporting at Old Ndebeji and Akor communities in Akamkpa local government areas of Cross River. When it rains, the road is slippery and trees can fall. This makes movement difficult.
MSF van drives through mud carrying staff to the primary healthcare facility it is supporting at Old Ndebeji and Akor communities in Akamkpa local government areas of Cross River. When it rains, the road is slippery and trees can fall. This makes movement difficult.

3. Broken bridges

“In this area, there are a lot of bridges we have to cross when we are driving around. However, these bridges were constructed in 1973, when I was still in primary school. To this date, those bridges are still the same ones we are driving over now. These are simple wooden bridges and you have vehicles that are crossing with a load of more than 30 tonnes. Just today, two bridges have collapsed. Sometimes when we drive over these delicate bridges, all the passengers have to get out and walk across to reduce weight.”

A side view of a broken bridge at Oban community in Akamkpa local government area of Cross River state. Youths from the community are using bags of sand and woods to temporarily fix the road so that motorists can pass. This is one of several bridges that have collapsed on the road to the communities where MSF supports two primary healthcare centres. The broken bridges among other factors pose great challenge for MSF in terms of access.
A side view of a broken bridge at Oban community in Akamkpa local government area of Cross River state. Youths from the community are using bags of sand and woods to temporarily fix the road so that motorists can pass. This is one of several bridges that have collapsed on the road to the communities where MSF supports two primary healthcare centres. The broken bridges among other factors pose great challenge for MSF in terms of access.

4. Cost increases

“When I first joined MSF, I worked hard to explain to the community who MSF is and what we do. Drivers are often the number one advertiser for MSF, the vehicle is the first thing people see. I would encourage people to go to the MSF clinic. If you are sick, you come to the facility and MSF will treat you. But the challenge is that in the rainy season, the price of taxis and transportation goes up. It can be around four times more. If people don’t come to the clinic, then we cannot refer them, and I cannot drive them to other hospitals.”

Nse George sits holding her child as she waits for her turn to a nurse at the primary healthcare clinic supported by MSF in Old Ndebeji, a rural community in Akamkpa local government area of Cross River state. This is Nse’s sixth child. She lives three villages from Old Ndebeji and travels for one hour on a motorbike to get to MSF facility. She spends 3500 naira to and from.
Nse George sits holding her child as she waits for her turn to a nurse at the primary healthcare clinic supported by MSF in Old Ndebeji, a rural community in Akamkpa local government area of Cross River state. This is Nse’s sixth child. She lives three villages from Old Ndebeji and travels for one hour on a motorbike to get to MSF facility. She spends 3500 naira to and from.

The current MSF project in Cross River has been there since 2021, supporting patients who have little to no access to healthcare. Despite the challenges, our teams are still ready to drive patients who need it to hospital – come rain or shine.

Kate Lee

 

About MSF UK

This is the press room for MSF UK - the UK office of Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF), an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from healthcare. MSF offers assistance to people based on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation.

MSF UK's privacy notice is available here.

MSF UK
Lower Ground Floor, Chancery Exchange,
10 Furnival Street, London, EC4A 1AB

PR Software : Prezly