Locals seek rehabilitation of health center in FCT community

Residents of the Gurfata community in the Ibwa ward of Gwagwalada Area Council, FCT, have expressed concern over the dilapidated state of their local health center. Speaking to Abuja Metro on Wednesday, residents described the facility as an “eyesore,” noting that its deteriorating condition forces patients to seek medical treatment in the neighboring Ibwa community.  […]

Residents of the Gurfata community in the Ibwa ward of Gwagwalada Area Council, FCT, have expressed concern over the dilapidated state of their local health center.

Speaking to Abuja Metro on Wednesday, residents described the facility as an “eyesore,” noting that its deteriorating condition forces patients to seek medical treatment in the neighboring Ibwa community. 

They said the facility, built several years ago, has fallen into decay, including the medical equipment housed within it.

Benjamin Yakubu, a community member, told our reporter that although the center is the only facility the community depends on, the government has refused to renovate it. He noted that patients, including pregnant women seeking antenatal care, are now forced to travel to neighboring Ibwa and Paiko communities.

“Pregnant women must travel to neighboring villages for care and often deliver their babies there because of the state of our center,” Yakubu said. 

He added that before the facility reached its current state of total disrepair, it was managed only by a single volunteer. 

Yakubu stated that the community, through its village chief, has written multiple letters to the area council authorities, but no action has been taken.

Another community elder, Danjuma Habaku, lamented the hardships faced by residents, particularly during the rainy season when roads to neighboring villages become impassable.

“When it rains, patients who need to travel to Ibwa find the roads blocked or muddy. They become stranded and cannot access the medical treatment they desperately need,” Habaku said. 

He appealed to the council authorities to fix the health center and provide qualified personnel to man the facility.

An official from the council’s Works Department, speaking on condition of anonymity on Wednesday, said a mechanism is in place to repair broken boreholes across various communities.

“There is an arrangement to repair boreholes in several villages, including Gurfata. We are simply waiting for the council to release the funds so we can deploy workers to the affected areas,” the official said.

The source also disclosed that the council has captured the rehabilitation of dilapidated health centers in its current budget.