Sick Borno residents seek medical attention in Cameroon, Niger – Report

Inhabitants of border communities in Borno State have complained of weak healthcare provision which forces them to seek medical treatments in neighbouring Cameroon and the Niger Republic.

This was contained in a position paper presented on Monday to the National Boundary Commission on the demands of border communities in 10 local government areas by Professor Ibrahim Bulama Bukar at a three-day interactive session/fieldwork with critical stakeholders in Borno State.

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Borno shares borders with Niger, Chad and Cameroon and along the borders are Abadam, Gwoza, Kukawa, Mobbar, Marte, Ngala, Kala Balge, Guzamala, Bama and Monguno local government areas.

Professor Bukar said most rural communities in the border areas lack electricity, safe water supply, motorable roads, health facilities and security protection.

He said: “Our communities at the border are subjected to hardship and forced to travel to neighbouring countries.

“For example, people in Kirawa, Ashigashiya, Agapalawa, Atagara, Ngoshe, Barawa and the rest, travel to Kwaza and Kwalofata in Cameroon for medical treatment. Their hospitals and clinics are well equipped with drugs.”

On the contrary, hospitals and clinics at the Nigerian communities do not have enough drugs, personnel and facilities, he stated.

He added: “Even if the facilities and drugs are available, personnel do not want to stay because such communities lack social facilities.”

In the same vein, people in communities such as Abadam travel to Bosso in the Niger Republic for medical treatment and other demands while communities in Marte and Ngala travel to Fotokol in Cameroon for medical treatment.

Representative of the commission’s Director-General, Hamza Dan Agalan, said the demands of the communities would be looked into by authorities, adding that they would guide the commission in policy formulation.