Sickness is not the only battle patients face at Dorawar Na’abba Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area (LGA) of Kano State. Pregnant women wait for antenatal care without access to a restroom, children line up for vaccinations while staff fetch water from nearby homes, and patients often leave without receiving their medications.
For a facility meant to bring healthcare closer, the experience is often as hard as the journey.
What began as an abandoned tuberculosis centre was transformed into a PHC in 2021 after nearly a decade of community advocacy. Today, it serves over 5,000 residents across Dorawar Na’abba, Sabuwar Juma, and parts of Warawa LGA.
Maryam Sani Abdullahi, a young mother, voiced her frustration. “The only test available here is malaria. For PCV or scanning, I travel to Mariri, and it is taking a toll on us.” Her story is echoed by many, burdened with extra costs and stress for services that should be within reach.
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Shamsu Sale Ya’u, Chairman of the Ward Development Committee (WDC), shared his despair. “Our pharmacy is not stocked at all, and people here cannot afford private chemists. We even tried raising funds to build toilets, but the money ran out halfway. Now patients and staff rely on neighbours’ bathrooms who reside close to the PHC.”
Nigeria’s Minimum Standards require Type 2 PHCs to operate 24 hours with water, toilets, laboratories, pharmacies, and perimeter fencing. Dorawar Na’abba PHC falls short on every count. For women in labour and children needing vaccines, these gaps can mean life or death.
Community mobiliser, Gambo Abdullahi, who is also a cleaner and immunisation assistant at the health facility, added that “the patients are always lamenting about the lack of facilities. We are trying our best to see that we accommodate their needs, but it is proving to be beyond our ability.”
Even the laboratory, staffed by a youth corps member, collapsed when community funding dried up.
A patient, Abubakar Shehu Umar, stated that upgrading the facility to operate 24 hours will relieve residents’ fears during late-night emergencies.
The Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) promises equitable, quality healthcare for all through its second pillar, but for communities like Dorawar Na’abba, that vision feels distant.
The Dorawar Na’abba community are hereby calling on relevant stakeholders and policy makers to:
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- Revitalise the health facility to include a well-equipped laboratory, toilet, electricity, and water
- Ensure regular supply of essential drugs
- Recruit more healthcare workers for extended hours of service delivery
As Ya’u concluded with quiet frustration. “Without these, healthcare here will never be complete.”
