It was a joyful moment for residents of Dokan Lugge community in the Bauchi Local Government Area of Bauchi State when they learnt that the Word Bank would spend N10 million to renovate their dispensary.
Built by the locals in 1977, the dispensary is serving about 15 villages with thousands of residents who seek medical help at the centre.
The World Bank would donate N9.5 million, while the locals are expected to contribute 5% (N500,000) of the total amount.
During WikkiTimes’ visit to the site at Kadage village on Monday, ten heaps of sand were already provided by the locals.
The renovation is expected to kick off as soon as the villagers complete their 5% contribution, according to Sama’ila Yakubu, spokesman for a community cooperative union, Dokan Lugge Multipurpose Association.
Yakubu explained that there was also an initial expansion of the dispensary which was done out of the funds contributed by locals. According to him, the dispensary is planned to be transformed into a maternity facility when completed.
He said the centre was selected after the local association attended a seminar organised by the World Bank for nine local governments in the state in December 2022.
Yakubu recalled that about 10 associations participated in the program and benefited on the condition that each beneficiary would contribute 5% of the total project cost.
He expressed his gratitude to World Bank’s efforts to revamp the healthcare system in the community.
Yakubu, however, pleaded with the state government to intervene, noting that the dispensary is understaffed. “We need more healthcare staff, this is part of the challenges we are facing, we have only one healthcare female staff,” he said.
The Chairman of the Dokan Lugge Multipurpose Association, Mohammadu Garba said there are 15 villages using the dispensary. He noted that the recent intervention would improve the well-being of the locals.
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He thanked the World Bank including other stakeholders in the community who immensely contributed to the struggle.
Garba told WikkiTimes that the facility if completed and transformed, would serve the 15 villages and beyond.
Efforts to reach the World Bank for comments proved abortive, but Yakubu noted that it’s a matter of days for the work to commence.
