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Service Providers Call for More Contraceptives As Demand Increases.
Family Planning Service Providers have called for an increase in the number of contraceptives issued to healthcare facilities to meet the increasing demand for commodities by clients.
They made the call when our correspondent paid an on the spot assessment visits to Basic Health Centres in Amoyo and Ganmo communities of Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Briefing our correspondent on the monthly attendance to clients, the Family Planning Service Provider at Basic Healthcare Centre, Amoyo, Mrs Falilat Yakub said that the demand for contraceptives increased between August and October.
“In July, the total number of clients was 70, August it was 83, September, we had 82. This October we recorded 96. In the past six months, we had seven male clients who came for condoms.”
Mrs Yakub explained that although more women come to the health facility with their husbands, there is still need to counsel men on the need to adopt family planning options.
“Religious belief is still a major hindrance to many women coming forward to adopt family planning options. They (women) still need their husbands’ consents before they key into it.”
She however, pointed out that awareness has improved compared to previous years as married men who live away from their families now pre-inform their wives about their arrival and ask that they take precautions to prevent unplanned pregnancies.
Mrs Yakub stated that implant, a long lasting contraceptive and the three months contraceptives, are the most subscribed, hence they hardly last the required time frame given.
“We usually run out of supply for implants and those use every three months faster. We want more supply of these commodities to enable us meet the demands by clients.”
She added that some women, based on medical advice, come for vasectomy.
At the Basic Health Centre, Ganmo, the Family Planning Service Provider, Mrs Rebecca Adeyemi explained that subscription for family planning options on a monthly basis has been irregular.
“In June, we had 39 clients. The following month, which is July, we had 52, this October, we have 45. So it has been like that.”
Some clients who spoke with our correspondent, said that they had been using contraceptives for some years and had no cause to complain or quit it.
By Rasheedat Iliyas
