A recent inspection by a civil society organisation (CSO) has uncovered the alarming condition of the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Gudale Ward, Augie Local Government Area of Kebbi State, highlighting severe neglect and unsafe conditions for both patients and staff.
In a report shared via MonITNG, the CSO described the facility as abandoned and uninhabitable. With no doctor, nurse, or midwife on-site, the community of over 300 residents depends solely on a lone Community Health Extension Worker (CHEW), who operates without basic tools, electricity, running water, or even beds.
Images from the visit show a facility in disrepair, with a collapsed roof, crumbling walls, and bats nesting inside. What was once meant to serve as a lifeline for basic healthcare has now become a hazard.
This situation persists despite Kebbi State benefiting from international health funding from agencies like UNICEF, WHO, and the Global Fund. The CSO attributed the state of the PHC to a lack of political commitment to maintain infrastructure and deliver quality care to rural populations.
The organisation called on the Kebbi State Government to take immediate action by renovating the health centre, assigning trained medical staff, and restoring essential services such as power, clean water, and medical equipment.
They also cautioned that Gudale is just one example among many neglected rural communities and urged the government to make rural healthcare a top priority to prevent avoidable loss of lives.