‘We Are Losing Babies’—Bwari Community Seeks Urgent Upgrade Of Local Clinic

A community, Zhiko in Bwari Area Council, has pleaded with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) through the FCT Primary Health Care Board (FCT PHCB) to upgrade the structure of the Primary Health Care Center in the area, stating that the facility’s inadequate space is discouraging pregnant women from visiting.

Officer in Charge of the hospital, Mathias Ibrahim, in an interview with THE WHISTLER Newspaper, lamented the small structure of the clinic, saying it needed a bigger space to cater to the needs of the people, especially pregnant women.

“The old structure does not have enough space for the antenatal care section, injection room, labour room. It only has about two rooms and a reception. The consulting room, the space is too occupied,” she said.

The Officer in Charge revealed that pregnant women prefer to give birth at home or go to other hospitals with better facilities adding that it had led to some encountering complication during birth.

“Two months ago, a woman lost her baby because she delayed coming to the clinic. She thought everything would be okay, but it got complicated. We couldn’t do anything to save the baby when she eventually came,” he said.

He added that a good environment is crucial in attracting patients to the clinic.

“A good environment attracts people to a clinic, but when you go to a clinic and it isn’t looking good, even with the competence of the health workers, people still undermine the services given there,” Ibrahim said.

According to Ibrahim, the clinic serves six communities, including a Fulani settlement, but the hospital’s lack of space has led to a decline in patients, with only two to five patients visiting the clinic for delivery in a month.

“We have six communities that the clinic services, including Fulani settlement, Ijapisa, Paspa, Goyipe, Pazamu, and Zhiko. The communities are suffering because of the lack of space in the clinic,” Ibrahim said.

He added that the clinic offers various services, including malaria treatment, typhoid treatment, immunization, growth monitoring, and HIV testing, but patients are often referred to Kubwa or Bwari General Hospital due to the lack of equipment and resources.

“Because there are no access road, it is takes time for patients to get to the Kubwa or Bwari General hospital. Because it is bushy parts, a patient suffered before getting to thse hospital. From Zhiko to Bwari General hospital is like two hours with a motorcycle and from there to Kubwa General Hospital is like an hour and some minutes. This is because the roads are not motorable,” he said.

Ibrahim, who is the only permanent staff member in the hospital, with only two volunteers, called on the government to provide the necessary support to upgrade the clinic, including mattresses, beds, BP apparatus, and thermometers.

“We need mattress, bed, Blood Pressure apparatus, thermometer for now. I am calling on the area council and the FCT to help us,” Ibrahim pleaded.