2 years after completion, Katsina community PHC lies fallow

Residents of Sabon Layi community in Kurfi Local Government Area of Katsina State have appealed to the authorities concerned to commission and put to use a Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) completed about two years ago in the area.

Arewa Trust Weekly gathered that the PHC, which is fully furnished, has been fallow, 17 months after it was handed over to the local government authorities for onward commissioning and staffing.

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• 2 years after completion, Katsina community PHC lies fallow

When our correspondent visited the community, it was observed that the PHC is still in good shape but under lock and key as residents of the community anxiously await when it will be put to use.

The ward head of the area, Alhaji Mansur Mai’unguwa, who spoke on behalf of the community, said before the construction of the clinic, the community had no healthcare facility, adding that residents often travelled to Kurfi town and other neighbouring communities for their health needs.

“It was Hon. Danlami Kurfi who broke the news to me first that there was a plan to build this clinic and asked if there was a piece of land that could be used. I contacted the village head, Barkiya, who is higher in authority and we finally agreed on this location, and that was about four years ago.

“Bringing this project, therefore, brought some sigh of relief to our people considering the fact that we don’t have to travel any distance anymore to attend to our health concerns, but hope of that relief was only to be dashed as the place has remained under lock and key after its completion,” he said.

When our correspondent contacted the two-time member of the state assembly and a one-time member of the House of Representatives, representing Kurfi Federal Constituency, Hon. Danlami Muhammad Kurfi, he said the PHC was one of his constituency projects secured from the Ministry of Works and Housing.

“The clinic is fully constructed and we have supplied all the facilities needed, including beds, wheelchairs, stretchers, other antenatal and postnatal care facilities including all the consumables.

“We have also formally written a hand-over letter to the local government authorities who are responsible for the staffing of the facility, for a formal take-off of the clinic.

“It is more than 17 months now since that formal hand-over, but to my greatest surprise, the place is yet to be commissioned,” he said.

He added that he had contacted the sole administrator of Kurfi Local Government Council over the issue who in turn took responsibility and regretted the delay in the commissioning and assured that it would be done soon.

Hon Kurfi added that the sole administrator had confirmed to him that he had already instructed the Director of Health of the local government to  deploy health personnel to the centre but wondered why that was also not done.

The sole administrator, Abdullahi Abubakar, said the policy of bringing Primary Healthcare Under One Roof (PHCUOR) in the state was what delayed the commissioning but promised that the facility would be commissioned this week.

“I will personally meet the PHCUOR secretary and discuss the issue. I want to assure that it will be commissioned this week,” he said.