The healthcare facility, which once served as the primary medical center for more than 4,000 people annually, is now a shadow of itself — lacking doctors, medical equipment, and even hospital beds.
Thousands of residents in Tandamare, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, have been left without access to basic healthcare as the Tandamare Primary Health Centre (PHC) has remained abandoned for over five years.
The healthcare facility, which once served as the primary medical center for more than 4,000 people annually, is now a shadow of itself — lacking doctors, medical equipment, and even hospital beds.
The dire state of the PHC has forced residents, including pregnant women, children, and the elderly, to travel long distances in search of medical care, often at great risk to their lives.
According to CheckMyPHC, a civic-tech tool by Orodata Science, the Tandamare PHC has completely collapsed.
The facility has no hospital beds, consulting rooms, pharmacy, or even restrooms. Essential medical supplies such as gloves, syringes, bandages, and oxygen tanks are nonexistent.
The labour ward is in ruins, rendering maternal care impossible.
While two Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) are officially assigned to the facility, only one is present. The PHC operates without electricity, a water supply, or a functional ambulance. In the past year alone, over 50 critical cases—including pregnancy complications and trauma—had to be referred to distant hospitals due to the absence of medical personnel and basic equipment.
The abandonment of the Tandamare PHC is a stark reflection of Nigeria’s crumbling healthcare system.
Across the country, especially in rural communities, countless primary health centers suffer from chronic underfunding, lack of infrastructure, and government neglect.
Despite repeated promises of healthcare reforms, millions of Nigerians continue to face life-threatening situations due to the absence of functional medical facilities.
“The people of Tandamare are not silent. They want their PHC back. They want a functional health center, properly staffed, stocked with essential supplies, and capable of handling basic medical emergencies,” Orodata Science report stated.
It continued: “This is an urgent call to action to Governor Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto State and Chairman ofTambuwal Local Government, Hon. Abba Shehu Tambuwala. This is your people’s cry. Restore
Tandamare PHC. Rebuild it. Equip it. Staff it. Give the community a chance at survival.”
In Sokoto State, the situation is particularly dire. Reports indicate that many primary healthcare centers across the state are either poorly staffed or have been completely abandoned. With limited government intervention, residents are often left at the mercy of private hospitals, where medical treatment is expensive and largely inaccessible to low-income families.
Residents of Tandamare have expressed their frustration over the government’s failure to restore the PHC.
Many have described the situation as a death sentence, calling on the Sokoto State Governor, Ahmad Aliyu, and Tambuwal Local Government authorities to take urgent action.
