Gawi is a cosmopolitan community in Fufore local government area Northeast Nigeria, with over 1000 inhabitants mostly livestock breeders and peasant farmers. The community which is about 7 km drive from Fufore town, the administrative headquarters of the local government area is facing challenges in health facilities.
The only existing health post is a mud apartment constructed through communal efforts by the community under the Bamako Drug Revolving Fund Programme about 30 years ago as a step for the community to access first aid. The absence of the facility contributes to the mortality rate among pregnant women in the area, particularly during the rainy season.
Recall that the Bamako Initiative was launched in 1987 in the capital of Mali by the health ministers of African countries at a conference sponsored by WHO and UNICEF to ensure that the entire population has access to primary health care of good quality at an affordable price.
In a separate interview with our Correspondent who visited the area, the inhabitants lamented that the community which has been in existence for decades is now without a government health facility, despite their participation in democratic governance.
They called on the authorities concerned to build a standard health facility that will cater to the people’s health needs.
Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, Wakilin Mai Jimilan Gawi said “Due to the absence of a health facility, the community decided to come together and requested approval to build the community health post, and when the approval was granted by the former Chairman Fufore local government council of blessed memory, Alhaji Suleiman Dasin, the health post commenced operation in a single apartment donated by someone in the community before the present health post was built through a monetary contribution.”
Aliyu said the pathetic situation is while transporting patients to Fufore Cottage Hospital, particularly during the rainy season because the road leading to the community from the highway is not accessible.
He stated that the community has presented their plight to concerned authorities, stressing that even politicians capitalize on it to canvass for votes with a promise to address the situation on the assumption of office, but to no avail.
“We have presented our plight to various concerned authorities, but to no avail, even politicians capitalize on it to canvas for votes with a promise to address the situation on assumption in office.”
“We are now pleading with the government to look into the plight of the community and construct a standard health center that can cater to the health needs of the residents. We lack access roads, water, and electricity,” he said.
In their comments, Mallam Mohammed Tukur and Malama Amina Umar, Health Attendants in the health post, said patients with serious ailments were referred to Fufore Cottage Hospital.
They explained that most of the drugs available in the health post are ACT, Panadol, Paracetamol, and other drugs for the treatment of minor ailments, while the commonest disease in the community is malaria.
“We don’t attend to pregnant women; we refer them to Fufore Cottage Hospital, we call on the government to build a standard health facility in this area and employ additional workers”.
“Sometimes casualties of pregnant women are recorded while ferrying patients to Fufore during the rainy season,” the health workers said.
