By Harajana Umar
The newly renovated Kadna Clinic promised relief to women seeking healthcare in Kadna community, Niger state. However, that relief has proved incomplete. Although the fresh paint and renovated walls have attracted patients, the daily reality inside the facility reveals a more challenging situation, characterised by water shortages, a lack of available beds, and overworked staff.
Kadna Clinic is a Health Post, not a Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) focal facility, serving Kadna town, nearby Fulani settlements, and distant communities such as Shakan, which is 15 kilometres away and Mai Gangan, over 17 kilometres away. The facility attends to an average of 20 patients daily and over 300 monthly.
“I didn’t even know I was pregnant,” 26-year-old Sharifa Mustapha, who received antenatal care, delivery services, and immunisation for her child at the clinic, said. “They really cared for me, but we need more beds in the labour room for safe delivery.”
Before its renovation, the clinic was dilapidated, with cracked walls and leaking ceilings. The transformation began through community self-help, led by the Ward Development Committee (WDC), before a government Ward Development Project completed the renovation. While the facelift restored trust and increased patient turnout, access challenges persist. Pregnant women from remote communities face high transport costs, sometimes up to ₦2,500, which is sometimes unaffordable for many.
For Hannatu Abdullahi, a 35-year-old mother of nine, the challenge goes beyond space. “There is no water, no mosquito nets, and limited mattresses. We fetch water in buckets. That’s why some women prefer going to Chanchaga clinic.”
According to the Officer-in-Charge, Adama Alhassan, the clinic operates under severe strain. “We have only two permanent staff. Six others are volunteers,” she explained. “We have just one toilet, which is used for blood disposal after delivery. Staff use the bush, which is dangerous.”
She adds that staffing shortages, lack of water, and inadequate infrastructure directly affect maternal and child health outcomes and discourage timely health-seeking behaviour.
The renovation increased service utilisation but exposed deeper gaps. Limited staff, drug shortages, absence of water, and inadequate sanitation now threaten infection control and quality of care. Despite community commitment, the clinic’s capacity remains overstretched.
Kadna Clinic’s experience shows that infrastructure alone is insufficient without water, staffing, equipment, and essential services. This reflects one of the priorities of Nigeria’s Health Sector Renewal Strategic Plan, which seeks to ensure an efficient, equitable, and quality health system for all Nigerians.
To ensure the realisation of this plan, Kadna’s stakeholders must therefore prioritise:
- Provision of a dedicated borehole for the clinic
- Absorption of volunteer staff into permanent roles
- Expansion of wards and construction of more toilets
- Supply of beds, mattresses, and mosquito nets for patients
“At night, a woman in labour cannot climb a bike,” says Tanko Bala Wakili, WDC Chairman. “This clinic is a lifesaver.” With targeted support, Kadna Clinic can truly become the healing space its community fought to rebuild.