Kebbi: Kangiwa General Hospital in need of urgent surgery

The people of Kangiwa in Arewa Local Government Area of Kebbi State woke up last week to outrage over the arrest of Hassan Mai-Waya Kangiwa...

The people of Kangiwa in Arewa Local Government Area of Kebbi State woke up last week to outrage over the arrest of Hassan Mai-Waya Kangiwa. He was detained by police-reportedly on the orders of a government official-for recording and posting videos of the dilapidated Kangiwa General Hospital on social media.

The arrest sparked widespread condemnation across the state and beyond.

Although the state government blamed an 'overzealous' local government official for the incident, it also claimed the videos were outdated, taken before the hospital's renovation. However, this claim proved false.

When a Daily Trust reporter visited the hospital, the decay was visible from the gate.

Every department-the labour room, antenatal clinic, female and male wards, amenity ward, records office, and children's ward-was in a state of disrepair.

Patients, particularly women, were seen waiting amid broken furniture, an unkempt environment, and near-collapsing structures. Only a handful of health workers were on duty.

The state government maintains that it has embarked on massive renovation and reconstruction of general hospitals since taking office, citing recent upgrades in Argungu, Yauri, Zuru, Shanga, Maiyama, Jega and Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital in Birnin Kebbi.

But Kangiwa General Hospital, established two decades ago, has been left to rot under successive administrations.

The hospital's facilities are almost entirely grounded. Its official ambulance lies abandoned in the premises. Chairs, tables and wheelchairs are damaged beyond use. The hospital struggles to meet the healthcare needs of the community.

Patients complain of long waits due to a shortage of medical staff.

'We spend hours waiting to be attended to. We are still waiting for the doctor to come. The in-charge is here, but many of us need to see the only doctor in the hospital,' said Aisha Suleiman, a patient.

While the current administration inherited the hospital's dilapidated state, residents insist urgent intervention is needed to prevent total collapse.

Community leader Alhaji Aminu Abubakar said, 'If the hospital was truly renovated and upgraded as they claim, it would be evident.

'All we want is for the government to shift its attention to Kangiwa General Hospital. It has been neglected for far too long.

'We call on Governor Idris to address its challenges for the good of our people.'

Government's response

Following the uproar, the Governor's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yahaya Sarki, alleged that the videos were intended to discredit the administration by creating the impression that nothing was being done in the health sector.

He said critics had deliberately focused on a few poorly maintained facilities to misrepresent the state's overall progress.

Sarki insisted that Governor Nasir Idris had made 'undeniable progress' in revitalising the health sector, especially in hospital infrastructure, and that the state was on a 'new path toward accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare.'

Similarly, Commissioner for Information, Yakubu Ahmed Birnin Kebbi, told journalists that the videos were circulated to undermine the government's work.

He maintained that all general hospitals in the state had been renovated, describing the governor's infrastructural drive as 'self-evident' in the health sector.

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).