Seven months ago when Nigeria Health Watch visited Yan Dadi Primary Health Centre, it stood as a symbol of neglect with unsafe wards, no clean water, and women giving birth in the dark. Today, the same facility hums with new life, its wards cleaner, its taps flowing, and its gates open day and night.
Yan Dadi Model PHC is a Level 2 BHCPF focal facility that serves residents in several settlements in Kunchi Local Government Area (LGA) of Kano. Thanks to recent renovations and support from the Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) project and the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), a solar-powered borehole and staff quarters have been established, including a renovation of the health facility. However, the call for more health workers grows louder.
Following the renovation, patient attendance increased by over 50%, showing renewed community confidence. The facility now operates 24 hours a day, but the rapid growth in service demands has exposed staffing shortages and sustainability concerns.
Samira Bello, a mother from the community, noted that the facility now has a steady water supply and active health workers. However, she emphasised the need for more personnel, particularly those from within the community who would remain committed to serving residents consistently.
“I used to walk for hours to reach the centre, only to meet dirty wards and no staff,” recalled Samira Bello, a mother from Yan Dadi. “Now, the facility is in good condition, water runs every day, and the nurses attend to us well. We just need more hands to help.”
Yusuf Salisu, another resident, added that, “We can now rush to the PHC for health emergencies and deliveries at night due to this commendable development. The situation is much better now.”
According to Yusuf Rabiu Kunchi, the officer-in-charge, “There is remarkable improvement now. IMPACT and BHCPF changed everything: we now have staff quarters, which keep staff operating the facility for 24 hours at the facility. We even have a cleaner and a security guard now, paid through the BHCPF.”
The transformation at Yan Dadi aligns with the second pillar of Nigeria’s Health Sector Renewal Plan (2023–2026), which seeks to ensure an efficient, equitable, and quality-driven PHC system. Addressing workforce shortages will be key to maintaining this momentum.
Stakeholders should prioritise the recruitment of staff, but should also prioritise retaining community-based health workers currently operating as volunteer staff at the health facility.
“Healthy communities depend on motivated workers,” Kunchi noted. “With more hands, Yan Dadi [PHC] can become a true model PHC for rural Nigeria.”