Katsina State government has closed down 69 healthcare centres in the frontline Local Government areas affected by insecurity.
The Executive Secretary, Katsina Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Shamsudeen Yahya, disclosed this to pressmen in Katsina on Tuesday.
He said, two of the centres were burnt down by the bandits after carting away some of their facilities.
“Sixty-nine Heath facilities had to be closed spread across the areas affected by insecurity.
“They burnt down two of the centres, after stealing some of their facilities among which are solar fridges, which we learnt, they kept for their use.”
The executive secretary said some of the health personnel were kidnapped and released after ransom payment.
He lamented the situation which he said has drastically affected healthcare delivery in such areas.
“Because of insecurity, we are continuously getting requests for transfer from the affected areas,” he stated.
Responding to the question on some dilapidated health centres across the state, Dr Shamsudeen said, the agency had statistics of 1,800 health facilities that are in disrepair.
He said they have made an arrangement to renovate the centres, adding that “as I am talking to you, we are on the course of repairing 361 centres out of which we gave 136 centres money needed to do some repairs of their facilities.”
Our correspondent who toured some of the dilapidated health centres observed that most of them are in disrepair.
Most of the centres visited in rural areas either lack basic healthcare facilities or are in an unhygienic state.