JUJI Community Decries the Lack of Social Amenities …we are in Dare Need of PHC Services

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JUJI Community Decries the Lack of Social Amenities

…we are in Dare Need of PHC Services

By Zainab Tanimu

Kaduna, North-West, NIGERIA

Juji Community is located in the southern part of Kaduna state.  Precisely,  within Chukun Local Government Area. It is about 6km to Sabon-tasha and a distance of 15kms to the eastern by-pass.

This community which has existed for about a hundred years has a population of over six hundred thousand people. (600,000).

Worrisome is the fact that despite the closeness of this community to Kaduna town, the inhabitants who are predominantly farmers are faced with challenges of accessibility to basic social amenities.

Aside the lack of accessibility to good roads, schools and water is the total absence of the Primary Health Care center which according to the District Head of Juji, (Mai Angwan ta gefe gabas) Dauda Maisamari, had caused untold sufferings to members of the community particularly, the pregnant women.  Explaining their predicament to a team of development journalists who were at the community to see things for themselves, Dauda said pregnant women risk their lives on machine through the bad road to get to primary health facility outside their community.

He pleaded that the road particularly the bridge be constructed to help reduced the hazards being faced by the people especially during raining season.

“We have lost some women. Juji community is seriously in need of primary health care center. Pregnant women who ply the bad road on machine to Kaduna town to access medical attention face a lot of hardship. We need assistance. A copper serving under the NNPC volunteered to assist us in pursuing this cause and the community has already allotted 2 plots of land to that effect. But our fear is that the project might not even see the light of the day because this copper would be rounding up his service year in a month’s time. All we have to do then is to pray and wait for God’s intervention. He said.

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Speaking, the District Head, (Mai angwan Yamma), Daniel Musa expressing worries over the unfortunate situation they find themselves had called on the government and relevant agencies to come to their aids.

“It is really disturbing that despite our proximity to Sabon tasha which is a boundary separating us from Kaduna town, just about 4kilometers to Kaduna town find ourselves cut off from these social amenities.  Our community has existed for years. We want to feel the dividend of democracy. Our women are suffering going through this bad road with pregnancy to access medical services at Sabon Tasha.

During elections, politicians come seeking for our votes after which we are forgotten”. Both lamented. They however acknowledge the efforts of Hon. Umar Barde who as part of his constituency project provided a bore hole for the community. One bore hole to over 600 thousand people is just a drop in the ocean; pleading for government intervention.

Mrs. Esther Hosea is a nurse from Juji but does her practice at Kasuwa Magani.  Asked how she would feel if a primary health care center is built in Juji, her community, her response was that of excitement.

“In this  our community! I would feel so elated because l always rush here and there, helter-skelter to attend to my people particularly the pregnant women.  This one would call me, the other one would call me you know, it looks somehow. So, if we could have one here, l would be very happy fully serving my community.

“Our women are really going through a lot of problems. Pregnant women who are rushed to the nearest facility sometimes give birth on their way while some even lose their babies. There was a case of a woman who delivered on her way. Some people came to call me but before I could get there, the woman had delivered on the road. We had to remove our wrappers and wrap her. Some of these women also have miscarriages due to bad road. This year, two women had miscarriage.

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Mrs. Esther lamenting said, last year, they lost 7 women during child birth which she attributed to lack of health facility and the bad road.

“Our women are suffering a lot. Before they get to anti-natal clinic at Sabon Tasha, they suffer. They would be jumping on top of machine because of the bad road. It is not proper for pregnant women. It could lead to complications.”

As to the willingness of the women to attend anti-natal clinic, she said,

“Many women do go for anti-natal because we do encourage them. They go to this primary health care under the bridge at  Sabon – Tasha and before they reach there is a problem.  Some want to go but don’t have the money. So, you see, if we have our own primary health care center very close here, it would be easy for them to be going there.