Assessment of Administrative Challenges Confronting Community Health Practitioners at Primary Health Centres in Oyo, Oyo State, Nigeria

The study investigated administrative challenges confronting CHPs at primary health centres in Oyo, Oyo State. A descriptive research design of the survey type was used. The population of the study comprised all registered CHPs working at the PHCs in the four local government areas in Oyo, Oyo State. The total population for the study was 144 staff. A purposive sampling technique was used to select the sample size of 144. A validated structured questionnaire was used for data gathering. The reliability coefficient of 0.72 was obtained through spilt-half method using Spearman-Brown Rank Order. All the research questions were answered and presented using frequency and percentage. The study revealed that, favouritism 84(73.7%), lack of proper accountability 82(71.9%), not being pre-informed before posting students on practical 104(91.2%), no thorough supervision of students on practical 99(86.8%), denial of both departmental 101(88.6%) and facility headship 93(81.6%) despite being qualified were among the most administrative challenges confronting CHPs. The study concludes that, CHPs were confronted with toxic leadership, weak students’ clinic support and power tussles at PHCs in Oyo, Oyo State. It was recommended that there is a need for a continuous leadership training programme for CHPs to be organized by the state executive of the Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria. The leadership of CHPs at the local government level should liaise with the head of the department to initiate a committee/unit for the effective management of students’ practicals; and appeal to the concerned authority to adhere to the scheme of service in decision-making about PHC headship.