By Abdulrazak Bello Kaura
Despite the commendable efforts by the Zamfara state government under Governor Dauda Lawal in renovating and providing new structures at the General Hospital Kaura Namoda, there is an urgent need for collaboration from various stakeholders. Wealthy individuals, banks, corporate bodies, politicians, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to extend their support in critical areas that would enable the hospital to better serve the population of the Zamfara North.
The General Hospital Kaura Namoda, a vital healthcare hub, now acts as a referral center for Zamfara North, covering communities from local government areas of Zurmi, Shinkafi, Birnin Magaji, and Kaura Namoda respectively. However, with only three medical doctors and less than 50 Nurses and Midwives, the hospital faces overwhelming demands that challenge its limited resources. Essential areas needing support include:
1. Infrastructure Expansion: Additional blocks for separate male and female medical and surgical wards are needed. Expanding the maternity unit to accommodate more lying-in (Postnatal) and delivery beds would also help address the high maternity needs.
2. Accident and Emergency Unit: Establishing a dedicated accident and emergency unit would allow better handling of emergencies and critical cases, currently managed within congested spaces in the General Out Patient Department (GOPD) thereby creating delays and congestion. This will improve patient flow and better outcomes
3. Water Supply: Increasing the number of boreholes would ensure a steady water supply, crucial for both staff and patients.
4. Staffing Support: The workload on existing staff, particularly nurses and midwives, is immense. By employing casual staff through legal means, NGOs and philanthropists could help fill this gap. Many registered nurses and midwives are unemployed; even small stipends could significantly improve patient care.
5. ICU and Isolation center: Establishing an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to handle critical cases and isolation center for special cases are curiously needed in the Hospital.
6. Inpatient Therapeutic Feeding Center: The hospital urgently needs a dedicated nutrition unit to address severe malnutrition cases common among children in the area.
7. Cleaners and Security Guards: There is need for Zamfara state government to kindly hire Cleaners to improve environmental Hygiene and neatness as well as Security Guards for safety and protection.
Given the hospital’s importance in serving Kaura Namoda, the second-largest city in Zamfara and the Northern part of the state, it is imperative that these needs be met. The hospital’s maternity unit, with only five delivery beds and a 10-bed lying-in ward, is insufficient for the high volume of daily patients. Additionally, surgical and medical cases currently share the same wards, indicating the pressing need for facility expansion.
The ongoing Zamfara state government project aimed at beautifying the hospital, landscaping, beside the commissioned project of total renovation of the Hospital which is appreciated. However, some completed structures such as Theater, wards and office blocks remain unused due to outstanding payments to contractors, amounting to about Seventy Million Naira (amount not officially obtained) an area where philanthropic intervention could bring immediate benefits.
This appeal also extends to donor agencies, within and outside Nigeria, who can make a vital impact by assisting in any of these critical areas. The load on hospital staff is at times overwhelming, leading to understandable strain and possible lapses in service due to exhaustion.
Lastly, I challenge the three banks operating in Kaura Namoda; First Bank, Eco Bank, and Access Bank to step up. Their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs could address any one of these pressing needs. Presently, no project in Kaura Namoda bears the mark of their support, an absence that could be rectified to benefit the entire community.
Thank you.
Abdulrazak Bello Kaura is a development journalist, Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Zone A (Northwest), and National President of the Alumni Association of the Federal Polytechnic Kaura Namoda.
Can be reached via: abdulkaura21@gmail.com | 07030151385
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