Alhaji Idris Muazu, a Patigi Community leader, on Wednesday, said that a health facility manned by three doctors, built before Nigeria’s independence, still served Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara.
Muazu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in an interview in Patigi, that the health facility was the only known health centre in the area, before its elevation to Lade Cottage Hospital in 1991.
“The health centre started before the nation became independent. It has been in existence since the Colonial era and has not been upgraded to a General hospital for the community.
“As big as this community is, we only have this one Cottage hospital and no General hospital.
“We can only boast of three doctors, to cater for the teeming population, as there are no enough health personnel. The hospital should have been upgraded and should be dispensing like any General health facility,” he said.
He observed that there was a sharp contrast in the number of health facilities and personnel in other areas, when compared to their community.
The community leader, also a retired Nurse, explained that he was still dispensing his services to the state, in spite of his retirement.
While speaking on Patigi Emirate, which means “small hill”, founded in 1898 by Idrissu Gana I, the emirate’s first monarch, Muazu explained that the community suffered the challenge of a hard terrain which had been made worse by untarred roads.
“I commend the Kwara State Government because despite the obstacles and the hard to reach terrain of Patigi, we are still witnessing some few changes in the area of health,” he said.
According to him, some Agencies from the State, Federal, including NGOs, still come to the community to reach out to people in area of health and other similar interventions.
Muazu, therefore, appealed to the state government to provide a standard General Hospital in the area, to cater to the health needs of Patigi and neighbouring communities. (NAN)
