The Primary health Centre (PHC) in Rofia, a rural community in Agwara Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State, was built several years ago to meet the healthcare needs of community members. However, after years of neglect, this health facility has been abandoned by health workers, forcing community members to seek healthcare in faraway Kebbi State.
Bello Usman Gidi, a community member said Rofia PHC has been in this state for about three years. ‘’The ceiling is completely broken. During the rainy season, everywhere leaks. Right now, bats and birds have made the health facility a home,” he added. As a result, the health workers posted there abandoned it as most of them are not from the community. He said that when a woman is in labour, she must be taken to Yauri town, in Kabbi State. This can only be done by crossing a river. The other alternative according to Gidi is Agwara town which is more than nine kilometers away and has bad access roads. Some pregnant women don’t survive this ordeal, Gidi said as they end up dying on the way to either Yauri or Agwara.
These deaths can be prevented if the government of Niger State meets the demands of Rofia community members. They are asking the government to,
- Carry out a complete rehabilitation of the PHC
- Provide proper equipment such as beds, mattresses, and diagnostics for the PHC
- Make available adequate essential medications for the PHC
- Recruit and deploy health workers to the PHC
- Construct staff quarters to ensure that the PHC runs a 24-hour service