Margaret Zichat Joseph (Lead Writer)
On a rainy afternoon, Nurse Comfort John rushed to cover patient files with plastic bags as water dripped steadily through the leaking roof of Sabon Gayan Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in Kaduna. “Sometimes, we have to move patients around when the rain gets heavy,” she sighs, pointing at the damp walls of the ward. For many residents, this facility was meant to be a lifeline but now feels more like a broken promise.
Sabon Gayan PHC, located in Chikun Local Government Area (LGA), is a Level 2 health facility under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF). It was built to provide maternal care, immunisations, and other essential services to surrounding rural communities.
However, despite its recent commissioning, the centre remains incomplete, the toilet block is abandoned, the roofs leak, and there is no reliable electricity or water supply. On average, dozens of patients seek care monthly, but with poor infrastructure and only a handful of staff, many go home unattended.
The leaking roof of the newly constructed PHC is already in need of renovation. Image credit: Nigeria Health Watch
Pregnant women often travel long distances to other facilities, a dangerous gamble in emergencies.
According to Nurse Comfort, the officer-in-charge, “the community’s transformer was stolen, and we have not had light since then. We also do not have a generator. The rain damaged our solar panels, and we must fetch water from the well outside the facility.”
The facility also lacks some basic amenities. Medicines, beds, neonatal equipment, and even a properly equipped labour room are all absent. Comfort explained that even the toilet facility was abandoned because the contractors claimed government funding was insufficient.
Uncompleted toilet facility at the PHC. Image credit: Nigeria Health Watch
Abubakar Mohammed, the Public Relations Officer of the Ward Development Committee (WDC), highlighted the pressure on the few available workers. “There are only three health workers here, and they must attend to so many patients. Sometimes patients go home without being treated because of the crowd. This worsens their condition and discourages others from seeking care.”
PHC Sabon Gayan’s incomplete state leaves the community exposed to avoidable risks. The lack of water, electricity, medical supplies, and sufficient staff undermines healthcare delivery, especially for women and children. Despite being under the BHCPF, the centre is far from meeting its purpose of improving health outcomes.
The unfinished PHC in Sabon Gayan exposes the community to avoidable risks. Despite being a BHCPF facility, inadequate funding and mismanagement have left residents vulnerable. These gaps reflect systemic weaknesses the Nigerian Health Sector Renewal Strategic Plan (2023–2027) seeks to address, particularly under its goal to revitalise PHCs for equitable and quality healthcare.
To save lives in Sabon Gayan, the facility must be completed, equipped, and staffed. Government and stakeholders should urgently
- Complete the facilities building and fix leaky roofs,
- Provide steady electricity and water, and
- Employ more health workers.
“Without a functional PHC, our people remain at risk,” said Abubakar. “Fixing this facility is not just about a building, it’s about saving lives.”