Some community members have appealed for a primary healthcare centre to be built in Kobi, a suburb of Abuja, to address their health needs.
They made this call during a free medical outreach organized by the National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) Democracy Radio in partnership with Garki Hospital.
The General Manager of NILDS Democracy Radio, Mrs. Uju Nwachukwu, said the station wanted to do more than just broadcast on air by reaching people directly with services that impact their lives.
She explained that findings showed Kobi residents lacked access to healthcare, and the best way to support them was to address their medical challenges.
“From what we discovered, many people in this community, especially children and the elderly, struggle with health issues. That is why we partnered with Garki Hospital to bring some help directly to them,” she said.
Nwachukwu added that the needs of the community were overwhelming, and partnerships like this one could help save lives since government alone could not meet every need.
She thanked Garki Hospital for sending 10 medical staff to support the outreach and urged the Ministry of Health and other authorities to pay closer attention to rural healthcare.
Also speaking, Dr. Sylvester Enudi, a family physician from Garki Hospital, observed that the community environment exposed residents to malaria, diarrheas’, and hygiene-related illnesses.
He noted that many children already showed signs of malnutrition.
Enudi stressed the importance of primary healthcare, not just as a building but as a facility fully equipped with medical staff and resources to serve the people.
He warned that many residents were living with untreated high blood pressure, putting them at risk of sudden death from stroke or heart attack.
“The absence of a primary healthcare centre means people cannot even check their blood pressure or access basic medication. This makes the situation very dangerous,” he said.
The traditional ruler of Kobi, Mr. Audu Kaura, thanked the organizers of the outreach, describing healthcare as a major challenge in the community.
He said the only existing primary healthcare facility in the area lacked proper equipment and was not enough for the more than 5,000 people living there.
“On behalf of my people, I thank you deeply. Health is wealth, and without it, nothing else is possible. This outreach has brought relief to us, and we are very grateful,” he said.
