We take drugs with stream water — FCT community residents

Residents of Fogbe community in Ashara ward of Kwali Area Council of the FCT have bemoaned the dilapidated state of the health centre in the community. Some of the villagers, who spoke with Abuja Metro, said the it had become an eyesore due to its deplorable state. They said since the centre was built in […]

Residents of Fogbe community in Ashara ward of Kwali Area Council of the FCT have bemoaned the dilapidated state of the health centre in the community.

Some of the villagers, who spoke with Abuja Metro, said the it had become an eyesore due to its deplorable state.

They said since the centre was built in 2011 through the defunct Millennium Development Goals (MGDs) by the FCT Administration, it has been in disrepair.

They also said the health centre had no tap water, adding that patients’ relatives have to trek to a nearby stream to fetch water for patients on treatment.

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The residents said patients on treatment have to rely on such stream water to take their prescribed drugs.

Mr Danjuma Saidu, a resident of the community, told our reporter that the roof of the health centre was blown off two years ago, making it difficult for patients to be admitted at the facility.

He said most of the facilities at the health centre were in a dilapidated stage, adding that patients were sometimes referred to Kwali or Abaji for attention.

Another resident, Usman Abdullahi, also expressed concern over the state of the health centre, saying the facility has no tap water and is perennially out of drugs. 

He said patients, in most cases, often travel as far as Kwali or Gwagwalada to buy their prescribed drugs.

A community health officer manning the centre, Mrs Amina Mohammed, who spoke with our reporter, expressed concern over its dilapidated state.

She said the facility’s roof has been blown off, thereby exposing both patients and staff to unconducive environment.

She also complained that the facility had no pipe-borne water, adding that patients’ relatives often brought water from home or from the stream to the centre.

Ahmed said the management had written several mails drawing the attention to the condition of the centre.

“What we are going through here is very terrible. As you can see, we don’t have access to drinking water, she said, adding that “The rooms are leaking because the roof has been blown off.”

She, however, said despite the challenges, the centre still conducts some minor treatments including taking delivery, adding that patients are only referred to another hospital on complicated cases.

Our reporter, who went round both the male and female wards of the facility, observed that the roof of the wards has been blown off, while cobwebs are dwelling all over the facility.

Abuja Metro also observed that some wards were empty; without beds.

An official of the works department of the council, who preferred anonymity, said the council had received complaints on the state of the health centre, adding that the chairman promised to take it up with the FCT administration.