Residents of Bogo Community in Grako Ward, Akko Local Government Area of Gombe, have appealed to the government to urgently rehabilitate the community’s only primary healthcare centre, which was recently damaged by a heavy downpour.
The affected Bogo Primary Health Centre, located in Hayin Kwarin Misau, has been forced to suspend normal operations after a large section of the facility collapsed following the rainstorm.
A community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the development had left residents, particularly pregnant women, nursing mothers and children, struggling to access healthcare services.
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According to him, the health facility had been in a deplorable condition for a long time before the recent incident, which he attributed to prolonged neglect by the relevant authorities.
He said the closure had compelled residents to seek medical attention at facilities located far from the community, thereby increasing the hardship faced by vulnerable residents.
The community leader appealed to the Chairman of Akko Local Government Council and other relevant authorities to urgently intervene and restore the facility to enable residents to access basic healthcare services.
Checks at the facility showed that it had been serving a significant number of residents before the collapse.
Between 20 and 35 pregnant women reportedly visited the facility monthly for their first antenatal care (ANC) appointments, while between 35 and 50 others returned for follow-up visits.
The facility also attended to between 10 and 15 pregnant women seeking skilled birth delivery services each month, while between 50 and 60 children were brought in for routine immunisation.
It also recorded between 1,000 and 1,500 outpatient visits monthly, in addition to between 40 and 50 clients who accessed family planning services.
Following the collapse, the facility is currently operating from the living room of the only staff quarters within the premises.
The situation has further raised concerns about the safety and adequacy of the temporary arrangement, particularly as the perimeter fence of the facility has also collapsed, leaving the premises largely unprotected.
Residents, therefore, called for immediate rehabilitation of the health centre, stressing that restoring the facility would help prevent further disruption to essential healthcare services in the community.