Katsina shuts over 60 clinics as bandits take control of some

No fewer than 69 healthcare centres have been closed down by the Katsina State Government as a result of insecurity.

The Executive Secretary, Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency (SPHA), Dr. Shamsudeen Yahaya, disclosed this while responding to questions from journalists in Katsina on Tuesday.

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Yahaya explained that two of such centres in Batsari local government were completely burnt down by bandits operating in the area.

“Most of the health facilities in the area have been taken over by the miscreants,” he said, adding, “the solar refrigerators provided in such facilities have been converted to use by the bandits.”

He further revealed that some health workers have been kidnapped, lamenting the increasing request of redeployment by workers in the affected areas.

On the situation of dilapidated health centres in the state, Yahaya said government had concluded plans to renovate one health centre in each of the 361 wards across the state.

He expressed the commitment of the state government to ensure the complete rehabilitation of health centres.

Meanwhile, due to the dilapidated nature of Sha’iskawa clinic in Mani local government area of the state, the clinic has been temporarily relocated to an Islamiyya School as the structure housing the clinic is on the verge of collapse.

A resident, Malam Musa Maizuwa Farusa, who confirmed the relocation of the clinic, disclosed that he was the one who provided the clinic with the new site.

He noted that the clinic providing services to the Sha’iskawa community and its environs only operates on Fridays.

Similarly the clinic at the Filing Kwallo area of Jani Village in the same Mani local government was not fit for humans and another one at Durbi Ta Kusheyi provided by MDGs in 2009 has been completely abandoned.