Six years after it was constructed with N20 million, Junju Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in Junju, a community situated in the capital city of Kebbi, lies in a deplorable condition as a result of the lack of water supply and other amenities required for seamless healthcare delivery.
The PHC was constructed in 2018 and has served as the healthcare facility in a community with over 3000 residents.
At the time of construction, residents were excited because they could receive medical treatment in their community without traveling long distances to access healthcare in other communities. However, their excitement has begun to wane six years later.
The ceilings of the hospital have been damaged for months, causing leakage whenever it rains.
In pictures posted by Tracka on X in July, the ceilings of the facility were damaged.
Dear Gov @NasiridrisKG,Junju PHC Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi state is in shambles. The building is dilapidated, with a fallen ceiling, no toilets, and no electricity, and this is the only hope of over 3000 residents of the Junju community.There is no equipment; only one staff member… pic.twitter.com/0avn0VUT2A— Tracka (@TrackaNG) July 3, 2024
When FIJ spoke to sources in the community on Tuesday, they said the facility was still in the condition depicted in the pictures.
Ceiling of Junju PHC. Photo credit: Tracka, X.
Ceiling of Junju PHC. Photo credit: Tracka, X.
Amiru Junju, the community head who also serves as a volunteer in the facility, told FIJ that there was a lack of medicine supply to the health facility by the government.
“I’m the village head of the community, but I’m not in charge of the health centre,” Junju told FIJ on Monday.
“The structure of the hospital (PHC) is not dilapidated but it is worse internally, especially the ceiling leaking of water during rainfall. [There is a] lack of water supply, electricity and other essential items.
“Lack of supply medicine or drugs to the health facility.”
A health worker, who wished not to be named, told FIJ that there was no provision for electricity at Junju PHC when it was constructed and that residents had to contribute to purchasing electrical cables and other equipment needed to supply electricity to the facility.
According to the health worker, they successfully powered their community in 2022, but the electric cable and pole got damaged by a thunderstorm two months later. The PHC is now without electricity, and the government has yet to provide electricity for the facility.
READ ALSO: No Hospital, No Electricity… Inside Ogun Communities Where Ballot Boxes Are Close but Infrastructure Is Far Away
Lack of electricity is not the only infrastructural deficit that plagues the community’s only healthcare facility. The health worker added that the facility also lacks water and toilets.
“There is no toilet in the PHC. We do not have water either. We have to fetch water from a well close to the PHC and store it whenever we need it,” they said.
Healthcare facilities require electricity, water, medicine, and medical equipment to aid healthcare workers in treating patients and catering to their health needs. However, healthcare workers and patients are at the receiving end when there is a lack of these.
Although the staff members of the PHC and Amiru Junju who volunteers there, discharge their duties and cater to patients despite the lack of basic amenities in the facility, they still find the deplorable condition of the PHC concerning.
On Tuesday, FIJ emailed the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the agency charged with improving primary health care delivery and strengthening PHCs, but they did not respond.
The post Leaking Roofs, No Water, No Toilet… Junju PHC in Deplorable Condition 6 Years After Construction appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.