Fuskar Gabas Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) located in Shahuci Ward in Kano Municipal Area Council of Kano State, was among the over 217 PHCs in Kano state that were revitalised under a programme spearheaded by the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). The Federal Government had in 2023 unveiled plan to revitalise 17,600 Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities across the country, which was aimed to make basic maternal, newborn, and child health services accessible to communities. The upgrades focus on infrastructure, equipping health workers, and securing a reliable power and water supply. After revitalisation, the Fuskar Gabas PHCs’ infrastructure was upgraded with standard infrastructure, skilled health workers, reliable electricity through a solar power system and regular water supply from a dedicated borehole. How Kano emerged world’s 9th most populous city Kano suspends malaria prevention activities As such, when Sadiya Muhammad conceived her fourth pregnancy, she visited the facility for her antenatal services. Front view of Fuskar Gabas Primary Healthcare Centre, Kano. According to her, she conducted the antenatal services and delivered her previous three pregnancies at a private hospital due to the then poor condition of the Fuskar Gabas PHC. “But when my husband noticed that the condition of the facility has significantly improved, he told me that we would be relieved of spending more money in a private hospital. “In fact, even people that are not living far away from Shahuci ward, are now visiting the facility for healthcare services. Because we got our prescribed drugs from the hospital, and sometimes there are categories of people that are given the drugs to them for free, like those under the BHCPF programme,” she narrated. According to her, there is no delay in seeing a health personnel, they are always on their post to render the required services. Inside view of Fuskar Gabas Pharmacy Our correspondent who visited Fuskar Gabas PHC, reports that two years after the revitalisation, the facility now records a high influx of patients who hitherto had to patronise private facilities at exorbitant prices. For instance, when Hassana Hassan Abubakar, brought her 16-year-old brother to the Fuskar Gabas PHC in Shahuci over complaints related to stomach ache, the health workers promptly attended to him. According to her, before the revitalization, people of the area hardly visited the facility, despite its proximity to them, but preferred to attend private hospitals or other secondary health facilities located many kilometres away. “But since the renovation was completed sometime in 2024, people from our area find it easier and are attending the PHC to get a qualitative healthcare service. There are a lot of changes, starting from the facility’s building, equipment and manpower. “In the past people had to spend a whole day waiting in a queue before they could be attended to, but now within one hour, a patient can be attended to, admitted and start receiving treatment,” she said. According to her, the pharmacy is always stocked with required and prescribed drugs, which are also affordable. “There is adequate electricity and clean water supply, there is enough equipment and other facilities that make it comfortable for both the health workers and the patients,” Hassana said. Thugs’ unrest prevents 24-hour service at the facility However, our correspondent learnt that despite the qualitative healthcare service offered by the facility to the community, it cannot operate a 24-hour service due to lack of adequate security. As such, by 4pm when the drip administered on Hassana’s brother had not yet finished, the health workers told them that they have to remove it and discharge him because the facility operates only between 8am and 4pm. They have no choice than to find a commercial tricycle and take the hapless patient, who was yet to fully recover, home hoping to return the following day to continue with the medication. Health workers attending to a patient at the PHC Similar to Hassana, a three-month-old pregnant Sadiya, said her nightmare is the lack of 24-hour service at the facility. “My fear is that in the event I start labour in the night hours, we don’t have a choice than to patronise private hospitals that charge exorbitant prices or go to the general hospital, which is very far and risky considering the security situation in the area. Sometimes it is even difficult to get a tricycle during the night time,” she lamented. She, therefore, appealed that the facility should be providing a 24-hour service, especially for people like her, the pregnant women. Also, when Hauwa, (not real name) a pregnant woman was brought to the Fuskar Gabas Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in labour, it was already 6pm and couldn’t be admitted for delivery, because it was already 4pm, the time the facility closed because it cannot run a 24-ho
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