A high-level delegation comprising members of the Kano State House of Assembly, the Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KSCHMA), and the Kano State Accountability Mechanism (KanSlam) on Thursday conducted a supportive supervision visit to Kademi Primary Healthcare Centre and Gaya General Hospital.
The exercise, carried out under the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), was aimed at assessing the quality of services, available infrastructure, and staffing levels in health facilities providing maternal and child care.
Leading the team were Hon. Abubakar Danladi Kademi, a member of the State House Committee on Health; Hon. Ali Abdullahi Wudil, Chairman of the Committee; KSCHMA Chief Nursing Officer, Ismail Nasiru; KanSLAM Secretary, Dr. Nura Alhaji; and representatives of the Hospitals Management Board.
Gaya General Hospital’s Struggles
During the visit, the Medical Director of Gaya General Hospital, Dr. Kabir Yusuf Kabir, revealed that the facility treated over 6,467 patients in July alone, despite operating with just two doctors.
The hospital, he explained, is currently run by 92 permanent staff, 9 nurses, 4 midwives, and 16 community health extension workers.
Dr. Kabir noted the absence of a dedicated safe motherhood care unit, a critical gap in reducing maternal deaths.
However, he pointed out that the hospital has some essential facilities, including a labour care guide, a newborn corner with basic equipment, CEMA, and a nutrition corner.
He appealed to the state government to urgently recruit more doctors, nurses, and physiotherapists to bridge the acute manpower shortage.
Voices from Patients
Patients at the hospital acknowledged improvements in infrastructure and service delivery, though challenges remain.
Usman Bala, who accompanied his brother for treatment, described the hospital’s services as “encouraging,” citing steady drug supply and improved care.
“We were received with care, and the patient was treated well. He is now recovering,” he said.
However, Bala also expressed concern about hygiene, pointing out that “patients’ beds are often dusty, and some even have blood stains.”
Ummi Habibu, a nursing mother from Yola Kazurawa, highlighted the lack of a dedicated maternity unit as a major barrier.
“Both women and men use the same ANC space, whereas there should be separate units,” she said.
Habibu also shared her struggles during pregnancy, recalling how she trekked for four hours to Gaya town whenever transportation was unavailable.
“The stress made me fear complications,” she noted, adding that her community’s PHC in Kazurawa Yola is “abandoned and completely non-functional.”
Lawmakers’ Reactions
Hon. Abubakar Danladi Kademi, who represents Gaya Federal Constituency, said the inspection revealed “both encouraging progress and pressing challenges.”
He pledged to push for more government attention to staffing shortages:
“As a lawmaker and member of the State House Committee on Health, I will appeal to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to employ more doctors to address the acute shortage in our hospitals.”
Similarly, Hon. Ali Abdullahi Wudil, Chairman of the House Committee on Health, stressed that the oversight was informed by a recent UNICEF report on Nigeria’s high maternal and child mortality burden.
According to UNICEF, Nigeria accounts for 12% of global maternal deaths, with an estimated 512 deaths per 100,000 live births nationwide. Kano is among the states with the heaviest toll, largely from preventable causes.
He said the Assembly has set up a multi-stakeholder committee involving the Ministry of Health, KanSLAM, KSCHMA, the Primary Healthcare Management Board, and the media to ensure stronger accountability in the health sector.
“While some facilities are well equipped, many remain critically understaffed, directly contributing to maternal and child deaths. We will present our findings to the House and push for urgent reforms, including increased funding and better welfare for health workers,” Wudil assured.
Expert Observations
KanSLAM Secretary, Dr. Nura Alhaji, explained that the oversight mission is part of a wider exercise covering five local government areas this week, with more visits to follow.
He identified persistent issues such as poor record-keeping, erratic water supply, non-functional toilets, and staff shortages.
“These problems may seem basic, but in maternal and newborn health, they are life-and-death issues,” he stressed.
“A woman in obstructed labour without immediate access to a skilled birth attendant, or a newborn needing warmth and oxygen in a facility with no functional equipment, is at extreme risk.”
