CISLAC lauds renovation of the Healthcare centre in Kano

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) commends the on-going effort by the Kano State Government in collaboration with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) at renovating the dilapidated Dausara Primary Health Care Centre, in Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano state which had suffered from long-time policy neglect, rendering the facility monumentally inefficient to discharge maternal and child healthcare services.

We recall that in the mid-2017, CISLAC with support from Macarthur Foundation supported journalists across Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and Jigawa states on field investigation to undercover and report maternal health budget allocation, release and utilisation in the respective states.

The rigorous investigative process by the journalists in Kano state uprooted and exposed issues with alarming reports (See: Guardian Newspapers– https://t.guardian.ng/sunday-magazine/failing-primary-healthcare-in-kano/and Daily Trust Newspapers — https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/bats-sack-workers-patients-from-kano-health-centre.html) pointing at the ill-equipped and pitiable condition of Dausara Primary Health Care Centre that had denied pregnant mothers accessibility and rendered them hopeless seeking for desired medical attention in the community.

We are not unaware and regret that the precarious situation had resulted in the death 3 pregnant women in 2016 at the facility which hosted patients from neighbouring communities like Malamawa, Hayin Rimaye, Dan Kunkuru, Zango, Adaraye, Inusawa, Kuriwa, Dauni, amongst others.

We find it worrisome that ill-funded and obsolete Primary Health Care facilities across the country have not only contributed to the high rate of maternal and child deaths, but also constitute the major impediments rendering the states incapacitated to effectively domesticate and implement the Primary Health Care provisions, as enshrined in the National Health Act 2014.

While we applaud the on-going initiative to save the lives of mothers and children in Dausara community, we therefore, urge extension and replication of such enabling provision across Primary Healthcare facilities with devised sustainable funding mechanism for the facilities to achieve their established objectives.

We also demand appropriate monitoring and oversight on health care workers to ensure full presence and total compliance to medical codes of conduct to restore confidence in citizens and improve attendance at health facilities in the state.

Signed:

Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani)

Executive Director, CISLAC