Taraba Primary Health Centre Serving Over 2,000 Residents Neglected; Left Without Water, Nurses, Others.

According to a report by Orodata Science, a civic-tech organization, the health centre lacks basic amenities, including a perimeter fence, functional restrooms, and a reliable source of water.

A Primary Health Care Centre in Anguwan Dampar, Ibi Local Government Area of Taraba State, is struggling to provide basic medical services to over 2,000 residents due to years of neglect and abandonment.

According to a report by Orodata Science, a civic-tech organization, the health centre lacks basic amenities, including a perimeter fence, functional restrooms, and a reliable source of water.

The borehole, which was the primary source of water, dried up long ago, forcing residents to rely on expensive water vendors.

The health centre’s building is in a state of disrepair, with cracked walls and broken furniture.

The facility has only six beds, no pharmacy, and no functional restrooms. The labour ward is equipped with only four essential tools, and there are no gloves or oxygen tanks available.

Despite the challenges, the Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) at the centre continue to provide basic medical care to the community. However, the absence of doctors, nurses, and proper living quarters for the health workers has made their job even more difficult.

The report reads: “From the CheckmyPHC tool research, a product from Orodata Science, referrals for cesarean sections are frequent.

“The labor ward, though equipped with four essential tools, is stretched to its limit. Gloves? There are none. Oxygen tanks? None. Patients are carried on stretchers that don’t exist, with only prayers to hold their fragile health together.

“Yet, somehow, there are pockets of light in this grim tale. Immunization services here are rated excellent—a surprising triumph in a space that seems to fail at everything else. A solar-powered fridge keeps vaccines safe, standing as a quiet reminder of what is possible when systems work, even just a little.

“But make no mistake: this place is on the edge. Repairs to the borehole could change lives. A fence could bring safety. Expanding the wards could mean mothers don’t have to share beds during labor. And staff quarters—dignified spaces—could tell the health workers that their sacrifice isn’t forgotten.

“Anguwan Dampar is more than a health center. It’s a battleground where hope fights neglect daily. It’s the story of a community that keeps showing up, even when the system doesn’t. This isn’t just about a building or a report; it’s about people—mothers, fathers, children—and the quiet defiance that keeps them alive.

“But how long can a place like this survive on resilience alone? How long before the cracks spread too far and hope gives way to despair? If Anguwan Dampar is a mirror, then we must ask: What does it reflect about us?

“Additionally, this is also a call to action for the governor of Taraba State, Gov. Agbu Kefas, and the chairman of the Ibi Local Government, Hon. Iliya Muhammad Ajibu, to attend to this PHC as soon as possible before it totally turns into a death trap and a shadow of itself for the communities that depend on it.”


Want to learn more about the state of primary healthcare in Nigeria? Check my stories and insights on www.checkmyphc.org and explore the data yourself.

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