The Tungan Gari clinic in Tungan Gari, a rural community in Kontagora Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State, was built 30 years ago. According to Bashar Mohammed, the officer in charge of the facility, it is in a deplorable state, with so many challenges that it is no longer able to provide quality healthcare services to the community members.

Muhammad said almost every infrastructure and equipment the clinic has is either broken or unavailable. “The facility has no delivery room and no delivery couch; the toilet is not functioning; the ceiling has fallen and when it rains, it pours into the clinic. We have only two beds which are damaged, and there are no mattresses”.

In addition, there is no source of water supply at the clinic; pregnant women do not always get their routine antenatal drugs due to constant stock outs because of inadequate supply from the Kontagora LGA; and because the facility is not fenced, patients, especially women, do not feel comfortable seeking care there.

Ibrahim Garba, a resident of Tungan Gari community said the challenges facing their clinic is forcing residents to travel to Kontagora town to seek health care. This particularly affects women who must travel to Kontagora to give birth, and this is a risk as the distance and bad roads jeopardises their health.

Tungan Gari community members recognise that to effectively meet their health needs, their clinic must have all the necessary infrastructure and equipment. They are therefore asking for the following,

1. A complete rehabilitation of Tungan Gari Clinic
2. Provision of a source of onsite water supply at the clinic
3. Rehabilitation of the toilet facilities in the clinic
4. Provision of a delivery couch, functional beds and mattresses and other equipment for safe delivery at the clinic
5. Adequate and constant supply of antenatal and other essential medications to the clinic.