Residents of Sabon Layi in Kurfi Local Government Area of Katsina State have reechoed their plea to the authorities to commission their Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) which was completed about two years ago but left fallow.
A resident of the community, Abdullah Memai, told Arewa Trust Weekly that even with increasing security challenges, residents have been subjected to travelling to Kurfi town to attend to their health needs because a well-equipped clinic built for them has been left unutilised.
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Memai said it was agonizing to watch the clinic standing with all facilities but could not offer any services to the people, adding that many other surrounding villages would have benefited from the facility if was put to use.
“Villages around this area, such as Dan Marke, Kauyaku, Madaka, Ajiwa, Morawa, Kawari would all benefit from this Primary Healthcare if it is functioning but all of us have to go to Kurfi town for our health needs,” he said.
The Ward Head of the area, Alhaji Mansur Mai Unguwa, said before the construction of the hospital, there was no healthcare facility in the community and residents had depended on hospitals at Kurfi town or other neighbouring communities.
“This project, therefore, brought some sigh of relief to our people as we felt we didn’t have to travel far anymore to attend to our health concerns, but that hope has been dashed as the place has, since completion, remained under lock and key,” he said.
Our correspondent reports that the PHC is fully constructed and furnished but has been standing fallow more than 17 months after it was handed over to the local government authorities for onward commissioning and staffing.
Hon. Danlami Muhammad Kurfi, a two-time member of the state assembly and one-time member of the House of Representatives representing Kurfi Federal Constituency, had attracted the PHC as one of his constituency projects from the Ministry of Works and Housing.
When contacted, the Executive Secretary, Primary Healthcare Agency, Katsina State, Dr Shamsuddeen Yahaya, promised to make enquiries into the matter, saying there are over 1,800 facilities in the state and each LGA has a Director of Health who is in charge of healthcare facilities.
However, our correspondent did not get a response from the local government officials at the time of filing this report.
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