Katami community residents in Silame Local Government Area of Sokoto State continue to recount how many of them are dying because a health centre in their area has become deplorable and can no longer provide healthcare delivery.
On a visit to the community, one is confronted with a deplorable healthcare centre that has tattered roofs while many of the patients that visit to receive treatment are seen sitting on old wooden benches outside the hospital.
The healthcare centre that serves an estimated 4,000 population was last renovated 10 years ago. An indication that shows the Sokoto State government cares less about the health of its people.
Tracka, a public accountability organization that first exposed the deplorable condition of the community hospital, says it has no power supply, drugs, and hospital equipment to make it functions effectively.
Community residents in different accounts narrated how their relatives are dying because the healthcare centre that is meant to serve them has since become deplorable, forcing them to travel far distances to other Local Government Areas in search of healthcare delivery.
The residents in an affirmative voice appealed to the Sokoto State government to help renovate the hospital so they can have access to healthcare delivery services that will stop their relatives and loved ones from dying.
The residents say they are losing their relatives and loved ones because they have to travel far distances to access healthcare. While those who cannot afford transportation fares resign their fate to either die or live.
Mr. Abubakar a civil society member, who owns a Non-Governmental Organization in Sokoto and spoke to MAWA-Foundation, described the healthcare condition in the state as deplorable.
According to Abubakar, apart from a few hospitals that are located in the urban areas, virtually all the healthcare centres in rural communities in Sokoto state are in deplorable condition.
A situation he said is forcing many of the rural residents to travel to towns to treat illnesses as small as malaria and typhoid.
“The situation in Sokoto is terrible, apart from hospitals in the urban areas, virtually all healthcare centres located in rural communities are in terrible condition”, Abubakar said.
“The terrible condition of healthcare centres in rural areas are forcing residents to travel to urban centres to be cured of simple illnesses such as malaria and typhoid”, Abubakar added.
Mr. Mohammed Sani, who spoke to MAWA – Foundation over the health situation in Sokoto, accused the state government of spending a huge amount of money every year in the name of providing healthcare delivery to the people and there is nothing to show for it.
“It is a known fact that the Sokoto State government every year, claims to have spent a huge chunk of her annual budget on providing healthcare for the people. Unfortunately, as I speak to you, move into the rural areas and see how deplorable their healthcare centres are, these people just allocate and steal the money”’ Sani told MAWA-Foundation.
The implication is that, if the Sokoto State government continues to ignore rural community healthcare centres, many of the residents are likely to die of simple illness and the country’s ability to achieve SDG goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) will not be possible.
MAWA-Foundation could not immediately reach out to the Sokoto State Government for an official response.