Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
GOMBE, Nigeria – A primary health centre in Jolle, a rural community in Nafada Local Government Area of Gombe State, has been exposed as a “dead facility” operating without a single doctor or trained medical officer, relying entirely on volunteers to serve residents who must navigate difficult terrain on motorcycles just to reach the crumbling structure. The shocking revelation was made by Tracka, a civic technology platform that tracks public projects and service delivery, in a post addressed to Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya on Friday, June 5, 2026.
According to the post, which included photographs of the dilapidated facility, the health centre is in a severely deteriorated condition. The building’s roofing is damaged, walls are cracked, and there is no medical equipment of any kind. The facility is not fenced and consists of only two small rooms. Patients admitted for care have no beds; they sleep on mats or chairs. “The facility is also very hard to access. Residents have to travel by motorcycle through difficult terrain, making emergency access almost impossible,” the post stated. The platform implored the governor, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and the Federal Ministry of Health to facilitate the immediate renovation of the facility, noting that “the residents of Jolle cannot continue with this dead facility.”
The situation at Jolle is not an isolated case but rather a stark illustration of the chronic neglect plaguing Nigeria’s primary healthcare system, particularly in rural and hard‑to‑reach communities across the North‑East. Nafada LGA, which borders the Dadin Kowa Dam and stretches toward the Yobe State line, has long suffered from underfunding and a shortage of health workers. Many of its settlements are accessible only by unpaved roads that become impassable during the rainy season. For the people of Jolle, a health emergency means hours of travel to the nearest functional general hospital in Nafada town or even further to Gombe city.
The Tracka report has ignited outrage on social media, with many Nigerians expressing disbelief that a public health facility in 2026 could be operating without a single medical doctor. Others pointed out that the condition of the building itself – with a leaking roof and cracked walls – makes it unsuitable for even basic primary care, let alone the management of infectious diseases, maternal health emergencies, or child immunisation programmes. Volunteers, however well‑meaning, cannot replace trained medical officers, nurses, or midwives. The absence of even one bed means that the facility cannot admit patients, forcing mothers with complications or children with severe malaria to be turned away.
The exposure comes at a time when the Gombe State Government has made public commitments to revitalising primary healthcare under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and the State’s Health Insurance Scheme. Governor Inuwa Yahaya, who is in his second term, has frequently touted his administration’s achievements in infrastructure, education, and health. In his 2026 budget speech, he allocated a significant portion to the health sector, including the renovation of primary health centres across the state. However, the images from Jolle suggest that many communities are still waiting for those promises to materialise.
Reactions from civil society have been swift. The Gombe State chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association called for an immediate assessment of all PHCs in Nafada LGA, urging the state government to deploy at least one community health extension worker and one nurse to every facility. The association also recommended that the state government prioritise the renovation of Jolle’s PHC as a matter of urgency, given that the rainy season is fast approaching and access will become even more difficult.
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency has not issued an official response to Tracka’s post as of Friday evening. However, sources within the agency indicated that the NPHCDA is currently conducting a nationwide facility assessment under its “PHC Revitalisation Programme.” Jolle may be included in that assessment if reported properly. The Federal Ministry of Health, likewise, has remained silent on the matter.
For the residents of Jolle, the Tracka post represents a cry for help that has finally been amplified beyond local ears. Community leaders have previously written letters to the local government chairman and the state Ministry of Health, but those appeals went unanswered. The track of motorcycles carrying sick children and pregnant women along rugged paths continues daily. The volunteers running the centre do what they can – dispensing basic painkillers, offering first aid, and referring the most serious cases. But without a doctor, without equipment, without a functional bed, without even a fence to mark the premises as a place of healing, the Jolle Primary Health Centre is not a health centre at all. It is a symbol of a system that has failed its most vulnerable citizens.
Tracka’s final appeal to Governor Inuwa Yahaya, the NPHCDA, and the Federal Ministry of Health is simple and urgent: “facilitate the immediate renovation of this facility.” Whether that appeal leads to action will be a test of how seriously the state and federal governments take the constitutional right to health. For now, the people of Jolle wait – in the shadow of cracked walls and a leaky roof – for a chance to be treated with dignity.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com ✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments