Saki Jiki PHC before renovation 2
Rehabilitation of Primary Healthcare Center Saki Jiki
Residents of Saki Jiki, Batsari LGA, Katsina have had to choose between safety or good health in the past six years. Saki Jiki community has been badly hit by banditry ongoing in Katsina and the Northwest at large, and the situation was further aggravated by the lack of a functional health facility. There were numerous instances where injured people died on the way to the nearest health facility—the General Hospital in Batsari, 10km away.
In October 2020, we visited the community healthcare centre to examine the extent of its destruction. The roof had been blown off, without beds and medical equipment, and only two personnel managed the facility.
When we met with the community, the discussion was a sore point for them, as many had lost relatives at one point or another. The village head narrated how children died from malaria because of the difficulty of travelling to the next community to get medical care for fear of bandits’ attacks in the area.
We spotlighted the community situation on our social media handles and contacted the relevant stakeholders to facilitate the renovation and facility staffing.
By November 2021, the state government had renovated and furnished the facility. The officer in charge was overjoyed by the development and expressed gratitude for the support throughout the journey.
We visited the community in July 2023, and residents were still enjoying the benefits of the renovation.
“Since the health centre was completed, nobody has died because there is no place for treatment, and we don’t have to go all the way to the General Hospital unless we are referred there from the centre. I even go there for treatment, and they give me free drugs sometimes,” Aliyu, a resident, said.
Story by Ayomide Ladipo and Mustapha Saddiq
