Upgrade the health post to include a delivery unit for safe newborn deliveries.
Recruit more healthcare workers to ensure emergency care is available when needed.
Enable the facility to admit patients requiring urgent medical attention, particularly women and children.
BY SHEKWOPEYELO
The Sarkin Kura Health Post has served as a vital resource for Kofar Kura residents. However, its reduced operating hours and limited services hinder access to urgent medical care, especially during emergencies.
Ni’imat Kura, a 37-year-old mother of three, shared how these gaps have drastically affected her family. “I started visiting the health post four years ago. The male and female health workers have built a good relationship with us,” she said.
The health post operates weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. but closes on weekends, leaving the community without emergency care during those times. Ni’imat recalled a distressing incident when her eight-year-old son fell into a gutter at night. “He was conscious when we pulled him out, but there was no health facility nearby for emergency treatment. He fainted on our way to the general hospital in Kura. Fortunately, he survived.”
The health post does not offer delivery services. While it provides antenatal care, expectant mothers must travel over 5 kilometers to the general hospital for delivery. Ni’imat explained, “If labor starts at night, we must put women on bikes for the long journey, which can lead to complications during childbirth.”
Sulaiman Salisu Kura, chairperson of the Ward Development Committee (WDC) for Kura, acknowledged the community’s concerns. He stated, “The facility operates from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but we face a shortage of health workers to meet our growing healthcare needs.”
Kura mentioned that the only 24-hour facilities in the area are the Sani Mashal PHC and the General Hospital. “We are collaborating with the Head of Department and other stakeholders to find solutions. We have started using community resources to employ additional health workers, but this can only extend hours to 7 p.m. A nationwide shortage of health workers makes 24-hour operation unrealistic for now.”
These challenges align with Nigeria’s Health Sector Renewal Plan for 2023 to 2026, which aims to address healthcare disparities in underserved areas and improve maternal and child health outcomes.
Despite community efforts to address these challenges, residents are calling for increased government support. They request that the government.
