Kwali: Dangara’s 42-year-old clinic in dilapidated state

The residents of Dangara in Wako ward of Kwali Area Council are bemoaning the dilapidated state of the 42-year-old clinic, which they say was built from mud bricks in 1975 through communal efforts. The traditional ruler of the community, Alhaji Ibrahim D. Usman, who spoke with Aso Chronicle at his palace on Saturday, said the […]

The residents of Dangara in Wako ward of Kwali Area Council are bemoaning the dilapidated state of the 42-year-old clinic, which they say was built from mud bricks in 1975 through communal efforts.

The traditional ruler of the community, Alhaji Ibrahim D. Usman, who spoke with Aso Chronicle at his palace on Saturday, said the clinic, which was built through the efforts of elders of the community is now in a state of dilapidation.

He said the clinic is the only health centre at the community, but has since become a shadow of itself forcing residents to travel to either Wako village, Kwali or Abaji to seek health care.

He noted that successive administrations of the council only carried out renovations on the clinic, but the structure can no longer withstand the effect of age.

“I have always drawn the attention of the past council chairmen and the present chairman at different functions on the need to build another standard clinic for the community, but nothing has been done up till this moment that I am speaking to you.

“Even our women, especially pregnant ones, who need ante-natal care, have to travel to either Abaji or Kwali, especially  in labour,” he added.

A housewife, Asmau Zubairu, who spoke with our reporter said she travels to Kwali General Hospital for ante-natal care whenever she was pregnant due to lack of clinic at the community.

She noted that the clinic which had served people of the village in the past is in a dilapidated state, adding that the community has been without a functional clinic for over 12 years now.

Another housewife, Hajara Usman, who said she gave birth to triplets, said her husband had to drive her at 2:00a.m. from the village to Abaji General Hospital, where she was admitted and later delivered of the triplets.

“I believe if there was a functional clinic here in Dangara my husband wouldn’t have taken such risk to drive at that odd hour to Abaji hospital,” she said.

The traditional ruler of the community also complained of lack of access to pipe borne water, saying the only borehole that serves the people has broken down.

He said residents always went to the stream to fetch water for their domestic use. He appealed to the council authorities under the leadership of Mr. Joseph Shazin, to come to the aid of the community by building a standard clinic and sinking or refurbishing the grounded borehole at the village.

The traditional rural added that the road which links the community with Ashara village was also in a state of disrepair, saying the road now posed threat to residents and motorists plying it.

He appealed to the FCT minister, Mal. Muhammad Musa Bello, to intervene and provide the necessary infrastructure to the rural communities.

Reacting, the chairman of the council, Mr. Joseph Shazin, said the council was aware of the challenges facing the community, especially the state of the clinic and water. He said the council was making plans to build another clinic and refurbish the grounded borehole as soon as it gets funds. 

Meanwhile, residents of Dnago community in Yenche ward of Kuje Area Council have appealed to the authorities of the council, under the leadership of Alhaji Abdullahi D. Galadima, to equip their health centre.

The spokesman of the community, Danlami Usman, who spoke with Aso Chronicle, said the health centre was donated to the community over eight years ago, by a Good Samaritan who resides at neighbouring Gwargwada village.

He said the health centre which has a two-bed space was empty, saying the elders of the community have intimated authorities of the council severally to equip it, but to no avail. 

He complained that sick residents always travelled on motorcycle to Gwargwada, Rubochi or Abaji town for treatment.

“In fact, since we moved from our former base to this place, our people always travel to Gwargwada, Rubochi and sometimes Abaji, to seek medication due to lack of a functional health centre here in Dnago village. 

“The elders have complained severally to both the past chairman and present chairman but nothing has been done yet,” he said.

Usman, who also complained of lack of access to potable drinking water, said women always trekked far distances to the stream to fetch water, saying even the borehole at the village primary school, from which they sometimes got water, has broken down for over three years. 

“If you see the condition of the water our people drink, especially during the dry season when our women dig out sand on the bed of dried up streams, you will pity us,” he added.

Reacting, the media and publicity adviser to the chairman of the council, Haruna Usman, said the council was aware of the water challenge facing not only the village, but some other villages, adding that the council has already commenced sinking of boreholes at various communities.

On the health centre, he said the council had already captured the provision of health equipment at the village clinic in its 2017 budget, adding that a medical personnel would also be posted to man the clinic as soon as the equipment are provided.