Residents of the Liman Katagum community in Bauchi Local Government Area have made a passionate appeal to the State Government to deploy qualified medical personnel to their local health facilities.
They say the few health workers available are unable to meet their growing medical needs.
This concern was raised during a free medical outreach, organised ahead of the Bauchi Economic Summit, in partnership with the African Medical Center of Excellence.
The outreach initially targeted to serve about 1,000 people, but within just hours, over 2,000 men, women and children had arrived the venue of the exercise, hoping to receive medical attention.
ait.live gathered that the situation was overwhelming on the few medical personnel and consumables meant for the programme by the organizers.
The long queues and packed tents consisted mostly of women and children, was a clear indication of how desperate the members of the community were in search of healthcare support.
One of the patients said: “We have about three hospitals in our community, but no qualified medical professionals.
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That’s why you see this crowd here; everyone is hoping to finally get the care they’ve been denied for years.”
Another patient, Aishatu Namadi, shared her emotional story, explaining that she’s been battling a chronic skin disease and a limb fracture for many years, but without proper diagnosis or treatment.
“I’ve tried several hospitals, but I was never treated properly. Every month, I spend N35,000 on drugs. I can’t afford it anymore. That’s why I’m here. I need help.”
The outreach is expected to last only two to three days, and it remains uncertain whether every of the patients who troop out will receive attention and treatment before the scheduled dates elapsed.
However, a clear message of the desperate surging crowd should serve as an insight of the deep-rooted challenges in Nigeria’s healthcare system and what inhabitants of local communities, especially those at hard-to-reach areas of Nigeria face in accessing proper healthcare services.
(Editor: Ken Eseni)
