How Kano doctors established, run free community hospital

Propelled by the desire to render selfless service to their home town, medical doctors and other health workers from Tofa local government area of Kano State have set up a community clinic where they attend to patients from the community and its environs.  Established five years ago under the Tofa Town Development Association, the hospital […]

Propelled by the desire to render selfless service to their home town, medical doctors and other health workers from Tofa local government area of Kano State have set up a community clinic where they attend to patients from the community and its environs.
 Established five years ago under the Tofa Town Development Association, the hospital had been providing health care services fortnightly to the teeming patients who visit it for medical attention. Now, due to the successes recorded, the services have been extended to run on weekly basis in addition to antenatal care services.
 Describing how the clinic came to be, the chairman of the health subcommittee of the association, Dr Salisu Ahmad Ibrahim, said the idea of establishing the hospital was conceived 12 years ago but became a reality just five years ago, “The hospital was built five years ago but the idea was conceived 12 years ago when, under the health subcommittee of the association, we thought of having a hospital that would be taking care of our common problems in the locality,” he said.
He added, “We consulted the mother association over the issue and they bought the idea also. We swung into action by soliciting for voluntary donations from the indigenes of Tofa and from what we got; we bought a piece of land at the cost of N150, 000.”
 Ibrahim disclosed that with the voluntary donations of N10, N50 to as much as what one was able to give, they were able to build one structure at the site. He said the district head of Tofa, who is the Dan Adalan Kano, Alhaji Isyaku Umar Tofa, assisted in getting the foundation of the structure built. With time it has expanded from one to three structures now.
 The hospital took off five years ago with the single structure on ground. Medical services were provided fortnightly and they have four standing doctors who are always available and 10 junior clinical extension workers.
 On the services offered, the chairman of the subcommittee said the clinic has been offering general medical services. “We offer general medical services, minor surgical procedures, minor ophthalmic repairs, foreign body removal and chalazion extraction. We also offer paediatric services especially campaign against childhood diseases and nutritional rehabilitation. The service added just last week is the antenatal clinic service and there is plan to extend it to delivery services also.”
 Speaking on the mode of operation, Dr Ibrahim said patients coming to the facility are asked to pay N100 for opening a file, N20 consulting fees and N100 for drugs, irrespective of the cost of the drug. He noted that they have been able to subsidize the drug all this time because of the monthly contributions from friends of the hospital.
 “We use the money to buy drugs for the patients at a subsidized price.”
 According to him, it was the state government that provided them with the take-off drugs of N150, 000 which is being revolved.
 He further revealed that because of the quality of services rendered at the community clinic, patients from the Kano northern senatorial zone, from Katsina State and Niger Republic come to the facility to access health care.
Currently, the clinic is partnering with some organizations and hospitals such as Rotary International, Makkah Specialist Eye hospital and Romzaib foundation. “We are partnering with Makkah Specialist Eye Hospital on eye services, Umma Diagnostic Centre on ultra sound, Romzaib foundation on training of staff, paying of staff allowances and oversight function and Rotary International that provided us with delivery bed, delivery kit and ultra sound machine.”
 The doctor is optimistic that the clinic would be sustained considering the zeal of the doctors and other health workers, and the support they are getting from friends of the hospital.
 One of the women who visited the clinic for antenatal care, Murjanatu Haruna, expressed delight over the introduction of the ante natal service saying, “I’m happy that the antenatal service has been introduced in addition to the general medical services that we have been receiving. I pray God to reward them for this selfless service,” she said.
 Speaking at the flag-off of the antenatal care services, the Chief Executive Officer and founder of Romeo and Zainab Boudib Foundation (ROMZAIB) – one of the organizations partnering with the clinic, Dr Halimah Nuhu Sanda, said, “We are partnering with them on antenatal care services to drastically reduce maternal mortality. It will be for life. We will be supplying the necessary drugs for antenatal and paying the salaries of those health workers rendering the antenatal services. In six months, we will flag off delivery services.”
 She said the organization aims at empowering women and the girl-child, especially in the areas of girl-child education and reduction of maternal and child mortality in northern Nigeria.
 Daily Trust on Sunday learnt that patients from Dawakin Tofa, Gwarzo, Kabo and Kano city troop to the hospital due to the warm treatment they receive from the workers.
“They will treat you with care and respect. There are no harassments as is experienced in other hospitals and you also get drugs at a subsidized price,” said a patient.