In Tarunu, a community located in Fammar Ward of Kibiya Local Government Area (LGA) in Kano, a health post exists but it is the only one for residents of Dundu, Gidan Mairafi, Yar Kasuwa and Babbangiji with an estimated population of over 5000 people. Despite its presence, pregnant women still walk kilometres away from the communities to seek services that should be available within the facility.
“We have a health facility here, but it does not offer essential services like antenatal care. From here to where women go for palpation and antenatal care is more than five kilometres. With bad roads and water during the rainy season, women get exhausted before reaching there,” Amina Salihu Ubale, a resident, explained the struggles pregnant women face in the community.
According to the minimum service provision, a health post is designed to serve a minimum population of about 500 people.
Amina further explained that the situation is worsened by poor road access, particularly during the rainy season, “women develop eclampsia, and sometimes both mother and child die. We are encouraged to deliver in health facilities, but how can we when there are no services here?”
The facility is not a Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) focal facility and is manned by only one health worker. The facility’s in-charge, Abdulkareem Muhammad Ali, confirmed the limitations facing the health post. “I am the only staff here, and the only thing we do is routine immunisation. We don’t have malaria test kits, anti-malaria drugs, or equipment to provide antenatal care.”
He added that without diagnostic tools such as Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs), malaria cases are only assessed clinically, discouraging residents from seeking care at the facility.
The limited services at Tarunu Health Post have created serious healthcare access gaps for surrounding communities. With only one staff member and no essential drugs or equipment, the facility cannot adequately meet the healthcare needs of thousands of residents.
As a result, many people either travel long distances Kibiya Local Government Area for care or avoid the facility altogether, increasing the risk of untreated illnesses and complications for pregnant women and children.
Nigeria’s Health Sector Renewal Strategic Plan emphasises strengthening primary healthcare systems to deliver equitable and quality health services. The situation in Tarunu highlights the urgent need to expand access to essential services at the primary healthcare level.
Image credit, Nigeria Health Watch
To improve healthcare access in Tarunu and neighbouring communities, stakeholders should prioritise:
- Upgrading Tarunu Health Post to a fully functional PHC
- Deploying additional health workers
- Providing essential drugs, equipment, and maternal health services
As Abdulkareem Muhammad Ali reflects, “if this health post is upgraded and properly equipped, it will save many lives in this community.”