With barely four years before the date for actualisation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), one of which is health, CHIKA MEFOR reports that Dutse Sagbayi community is in dire need of a health centre
The people of Dutse Sagbayi Village in the Bwari area council realised the importance of good health to them and it was in view of this that they agreed on a levy to be paid by members of the community to build a hospital, as far back as in the 1980s.
The community leaders at that time fixed levies for children, women and men in the society to actualise this goal.
Members of the community worked tirelessly to see that the dream came to fruition and the dream became a reality in 1984, when through sheer hard work, dedication and commitment, they were able to put up a hospital.
The secretary to the acting village head, Mr. Joseph Matthew, who beamed with smiles that spoke volumes of pride as he narrated how the hospital came to be, described the people of Dutse Sagbayi as industrious people, who always saw to a good end, any project they embarked on.
He said, “We contributed money to start the hospital. We called everyone to a meeting, the women, the men and the youth. Each of us contributed N50 and we started our community farm. We cultivated crops and when it was time for harvest, our women sold the crops. With the proceeds from the sales, we were able to buy zinc and wood and then we fixed a date for the men of the community to come out and mold blocks for the project. While the men moulded the blocks, the women were going to the river to get water for the men and that was how we started.”
Matthew further said that the efforts of the villagers were complemented by the government and was rewarded when the government stepped in and took over the project; after they had completed the roofing stage.
?“We wrote to the government through Bwari area council. The government heeded our call but after we had completed roofing and did the plastering and painting,” he added.
The government, Matthew said, went further to employ staff for the health centre and also provided equipment and drugs for the centre.
He recalled with nostalgia that while the people enjoyed health care from the centre, tragedy struck when a water pipe from the Lower Usman Dam that passed through the hospital broke and the hospital was submerged, destroying everything in the hospital.
Matthew further stated that when the incident occurred, a supervisor from the area council was sent to make an assessment of what had happened and the equipment and drugs salvaged from the incident were transferred to a health centre in a neighbouring village, Dutse Sagwari Village comprehensive primary care centre.
When LEADERSHIP visited the palace of the acting village head, Chief Haruna Gyndawyi, he said his greatest desire was to see the problem of health care in the village resolved, just as he craved for potable water source for the village.
He noted that while the primary health centre at Dutse Sagwari was not far away from them, the people still desired to have one they could call their own, where they could easily access health care, especially in emergency situations.
The village head said, “We used to have a hospital but the pipe that broke into it destroyed things there. Now we have to go to a neighbouring village to seek medical care. It would have been better if we had our own hospital because the one my people even go to, treats only minor illnesses, it cannot admit patients and attend to other secondary ailments.’’
When LEADERSHIP visited the site of the old hospital, surprisingly, it was discovered that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), had taken over the structure but a call to the district head revealed that the people were aware of the new development and that since security was as important as the health of the people, their presence was welcome, since the place was vacant and there were no plans for its immediate use.
The chairman of the Bwari area council, Hon. Peter Ushafa, gave further clarifications about the issue of NSCDC taking over the building when LEADERSHIP interviewed him.
He said that since the building was a public one, the area council felt that rather than leave it lying empty, the building would be put to better use if the NSCDC took over.
Ushafa explained, “That place is a public place and we can’t leave it empty and since the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps had no where to stay, we decided to accommodate them.”
Ushafa further stated that he was aware of the problem of the Sagbayi people and added that steps had already been taken to see that the problem was brought to an end.
He further stated that since the former building was in a rather unsafe place, the area council didn’t want to make the same mistake of erecting another one where the pipe would still be an obstacle.
“We need to construct a new hospital but we have to know the route of the water passage. We don’t want to build anything on the sewer line. They are doing allocation of land after the construction of the road because of the double carriage. So we are thinking that if the people that would be affected are going to be resettled, the hospital will move with them to the new place. All we are doing is to ensure we get a good location for the hospital,” he added.
Gyndawyi, who agrees with the chairman that a good location really has to be found in order to relocate the hospital and also to avoid another disaster befalling it, called on the government to see to that it should also look into the? problem of shortage of water in the area and added, “The chairman has been trying for us. Since the area council had promised that they will build another hospital for us, we are praying that a good land will be found. But as we wait, we have to be going to Dutse Sagwari for our medical checkup. We are hoping that the hospital will come soon.”
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