By SUYUDI ISAH JIBRIL/BASHIR BELLO

Kwasauri Community in Dambatta Local Government of Kano State, have appealed for urgent reconstruction of their collapsed healthcare facility, as patients now receive treatment in a classroom and under a tree.

An investigation conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) revealed that lack of the non-functional health facility had exposed the residents to more difficulties because they now have to travel to Dambatta town, the local government headquarters during emergencies.

The situation has continued to pose a threat to the increasing burden of child and maternal mortality in the community.

The Chairman, Kwasauri Youth Development Association, Sulaiman Magaji, said the community’s healthcare facility was once providing essential services to residents before it was destroyed by rainstorm in 2015.

He said although part of the building remained after the incident, the remaining structure later collapsed, leaving the community without a functional health facility.

“Since then, whenever there is an emergency, especially cases involving pregnant women, we experience serious challenges.

“During school hours, we receive healthcare services under a tree, while after school hours we use the classroom of the primary school in the community.

“We have to leave the village and travel to other nearby health centres or Dambatta General Hospital for cases requiring admission,” he said.

Magaji further said that the poor condition of the road linking the community to Dambatta had worsened the situation and created more hardships to patients, particularly pregnant women who are on labour.

He recalled that in 2016, a woman identified as Jummai reportedly delivered while being transported to Dambatta General Hospital, after which, both the mother and newborn died.

Magaji also cited the case of another woman, Hauwa’u Yushau, who, according to him, died alongside her baby while being transported to hospital for delivery.

The Chairman further said that in 2024, another woman reportedly developed hearing impairment during childbirth, attributing the case to the difficulties associated with accessing healthcare in the community.

He said that they had raised the issue with the Local Government authorities, the State House of Assembly and the member representing Dambatta/Makoda Federal Constituency.

According to him, despite promises to rebuild the facility, their request is yet to see the light of the day.

The Village Head of Kwasauri Cikin Gari, Malam Shafiu, described the situation as serious, saying that the community had lost several people in search of the healthcare services.

“From last year to date, we have lost about 30 people, including women and children.

“We cannot even count the number of people who have died as a result of the condition of the health facility and the bad road,” Shafiu said.

Another resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the situation had become particularly worrying for pregnant women because they had no functional facility for antenatal care or safe delivery.

The resident said some pregnant women were sometimes transported to Dambatta General Hospital in cattle-drawn carts, which is about 25 kilometres of bad road.

He, therefore, appealed to governments at all levels for the reconstruction and equipping of the health facility to enable them access healthcare services with ease.

When contacted, the Kano State Primary Healthcare Department Agency, said it is making efforts to fix the facility.

Its Director of Planning Research and Statistics, Mr Aliyu Jinjiri, said the facility is one of the two PHCs located at Sansan ward of Danbatta LGA.

The first facility, he said, is at Dangurmi, which is the ward Apex Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) PHC center, and the ward referral facility that was recently upgraded through IMPACT project intervention.

“For this one (Kwasauri healthcare center), is a non-PHC, located in the same ward.

“After receiving the previous report, with DG’s approval, the facility’s level of damage had been quantified and a formal request for interventions had already been conveyed.

“It is presently receiving the attention of the Kano State Health Trust Fund (KHETFUND).

“We are hopeful that as soon as approval is granted by the governor as provided in the KHETFUND’s operational guidelines, the facility will be renovated,” he assured.

(NAN)