Crumbling Health Centre in Plateau State Leaves Over 2,500 Residents Including Pregnant Women At Risk!
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Crumbling Health Centre in Plateau State Leaves Over 2,500 Residents Including Pregnant Women At Risk!
Reported by Mustapha Labake Omowumi (Journalist) | Sele Media Africa
A dilapidated health facility in Burtura community, Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, is endangering the lives of more than 2,500 residents, including pregnant women, nursing mothers and children, due to severe infrastructure decay and lack of basic medical services.
Recent monitoring by civic organisations revealed that the only Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) serving Burtura and surrounding villages has been left in a state of near abandonment lacking electricity, functional medical equipment, beds, trained staff, and other essential healthcare resources .
According to a report by civic technology initiative Tracka, the facility barely functions, forcing residents to seek medical help from faraway towns often at prohibitive cost and risk. When multiple patients require care simultaneously, the centre becomes overwhelmed, and mothers in childbirth are particularly vulnerable .
“This health centre is completely unfit to provide basic healthcare,” a spokesperson from Tracka noted, warning that continued neglect could lead to avoidable loss of lives in a community already struggling with limited access to health services.
Residents at the Mercy of Decay
Locals describe the health centre’s condition as deplorable, with leaking roofs, crumbling walls, and scant space to attend to even basic outpatient needs. What should be a lifeline for pregnancy care, immunisations, and emergency treatment instead stands as a testament to unfulfilled promises and dwindling public investment in grassroots health infrastructure .
While official figures are unavailable for the precise number of pregnant women affected, the community and neighbouring settlements collectively house over 2,500 people many of whom rely entirely on this facility for prenatal checkups, vaccinations, minor emergencies, and referrals .
Structural Neglect Amid Stated Priorities
The condition of this PHC reflects wider primary healthcare challenges in Plateau State, where multiple rural clinics have reportedly remained uncompleted or neglected despite repeated budget allocations and political commitments.
For instance, community health centres in parts of Plateau such as Kishi II in Bassa Local Government Area have endured dilapidated structures, staff shortages, and inadequate equipment for decades .
Healthcare advocates insist that primary healthcare should serve as the first line of defence against maternal and infant mortality, yet many rural facilities continue to operate below acceptable standards.
Calls for Urgent Intervention
Civic groups and community leaders are calling on the Plateau State Government, the Commissioner for Health, and the Federal Ministry of Health to urgently rehabilitate and equip the Burtura health centre, deploy trained medical personnel, and improve facility management to ensure safe and timely care.
Without decisive action, the health and survival of vulnerable residents particularly expectant mothers and young children will remain at serious risk.
CITATION:
1.Sahara Reporters:
https://saharareporters.com/2026/01/27/over-2000-residents-plateau-community-risk-only-health-centre-lies-ruins
2.Daily Trust:
https://dailytrust.com/despite-years-of-funding-poor-facilities-threaten-plateau-phc/
3.Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ)
https://fij.ng/article/inside-plateau-community-where-women-give-birth-under-phcs-leaking-roof-and-govt-looks-away/
4 Environment Africa Magazine:
https://environmentafricamag.com/2025/04/22/fg-inaugurates-revitalisation-plan-for-901-phcs/
5.National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA):
https://nphcda.gov.ng/
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