Residents Raise Alarm Over Poor Healthcare Facilities in Taraba Communities

 

By Thomas Samuel 

Residents of Kurmi and Sardauna Local Government Areas of Taraba State have raised concerns over the deteriorating state of healthcare services in their communities, calling on the state government and relevant agencies to urgently intervene.

Findings by correspondents revealed that the First Referral Hospital in Baissa, Kurmi Local Government Area, is in a deplorable condition and requires immediate rehabilitation to improve healthcare service delivery.

The investigation showed that the hospital lacks adequate hospital beds, mattresses, functional toilet facilities, reliable electricity and other essential medical infrastructure needed to provide quality healthcare.

 Residents who spoke on condition of anonymity described the situation as alarming, noting that the facility, which serves as the only secondary healthcare institution in the area, is currently being managed by only one doctor.

They appealed to the Taraba State Government to urgently rehabilitate and equip the hospital to improve healthcare services and reduce the hardship faced by patients and healthcare workers.

When contacted, the Chairman of Kurmi Local Government Council, Moses Maihankali, said the council had already written to the North East Development Commission (NEDC), requesting support for the rehabilitation and equipping of the hospital.

A similar situation exists in Nguroje Ward of Sardauna Local Government Area, where residents of Gurgu, Bojire, Yelwa and Belel communities are struggling to access healthcare due to the absence of functional health facilities and poor road networks.

The Councillor representing Nguroje Ward, Dauda Manu Maisamari, disclosed that the affected communities have no primary healthcare centres, forcing residents to travel long distances to the nearest health facility in Maisamari.

According to him, the poor condition of roads often makes the journey difficult or impossible, especially during medical emergencies. He said many families are left with no option but to carry sick patients across difficult terrain in search of treatment.

Maisamari described the situation as a humanitarian concern, particularly for pregnant women, children and the elderly, lamenting that several lives have been lost in recent years because patients could not access timely medical care.

He appealed to the Taraba State Government and relevant authorities to establish primary healthcare centres in the affected communities and rehabilitate roads linking them to existing health facilities.

The concerns raised by residents come barely a week after the presentation of the Taraba State Quarter Two Health Sector Scorecard during the 2026 Joint Annual Review (JAR), which highlighted significant gaps in the implementation of the state's health plans.

The scorecard showed that only 19 per cent of the 232 activities captured in the Health Sector Strategic Blueprint Annual Operational Plan received funding, while just 17.7 per cent were fully implemented during the second quarter of 2026. The review also revealed that the sector recorded an overall budget performance of only 1.08 per cent despite a budget exceeding ₦5.5 billion, with inadequate funding, delayed approvals and poor implementation identified among the major constraints affecting service delivery.

The Joint Annual Review, a multi-stakeholder accountability forum, was convened to assess the health sector's performance, strengthen data-driven decision-making and identify priorities for the 2027 Annual Operational Plan.

Residents and community leaders believe that increased investment in healthcare infrastructure, improved road connectivity and more effective implementation of health sector plans will ease the suffering of rural communities, reduce preventable deaths and improve access to quality healthcare across Taraba State.