Snakes Invade Collapsing Kebbi Health Facility as Rural Residents Suffer in Silence
Neglect and broken promises have turned Bakinturu Health Post into a death trap.
Written by Okafor Joseph, Journalist for SpringNewsNG Media Limited | April 16, 2025
Despite years of pledges from government officials and financial backing from global health partners, the facility remains abandoned and dangerously unfit for use.
A recent inspection by civic technology platform MonitNGN exposed the shocking realities: walls riddled with cracks, roofing in disrepair, no electricity, and a complete lack of basic medical infrastructure. Not a single hospital bed, drug shelf, or qualified staff member could be found. Even more troubling, the building lacks a perimeter fence, leaving it open to intrusion by wild animals — including snakes, which residents say now routinely crawl into treatment areas.
Community members recount alarming incidents where patients and snakes have shared the same room, further highlighting the life-threatening neglect in this underserved area.
Making matters worse, security challenges in the region have left many villages unable to access the health post at all, cutting off already vulnerable populations from emergency care.
This crisis exists despite major health-focused investments from development partners such as USAID, eHealth Africa, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Aliko Dangote Foundation, MAP International, and the Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development. While these organizations have helped strengthen healthcare delivery in other parts of the state, Bakinturu Health Post remains in ruins.
Past administrations promised comprehensive healthcare reform across Kebbi’s political wards, and the current government under Governor Nasir Idris has pledged to increase health sector funding. But for the people of Sakace and neighboring villages, these commitments remain unfulfilled.
“We don’t want more speeches. We want to see real change,” a resident told MonitNGN. “Our lives are just as important as those in cities.”
MonitNGN is now calling on Governor Idris to prioritize the renovation and proper staffing of Bakinturu Health Post, ensuring that rural citizens receive the same standard of healthcare as those in urban centers.
