Page 101 - NEW ENERGIES Beyond Data

Fatima Audu

Health worker, Gbangba PHC

Gbangba, Niger State

As the head of Primary Health Center Gbangba, I’ve been here for many years, overseeing the daily operations
of our clinic. Our clinic started back in 2007. We offer various services, such as antenatal and postnatal care on
Thursdays, and immunisations on Mondays, among other treatments during the week. We also handle family
planning and treat illnesses like malaria, typhoid, and diarrhea.

The switch to solar power has been helpful in our daily operations. We’ve set up a lab that allows us to conduct
tests right here, instead of sending patients to Lemu. This new capability has improved our ability to diagnose

and treat patients more effectively. We’re now seeing 15 to 20 patients daily, compared to just 8 to 10 before.
This increase is largely due to the better services we’re able to provide.

Improved service also comes with its challenges. We have only 3 bed spaces in the clinic, which can be a challenge,
especially during the rainy season when malaria cases rise, so we end up converting benches into beds, but it’s
never enough. Additionally, our limited equipment sometimes means we can’t perform all the necessary tests.
My hope is that we can get the support we need to expand our capacity to continue to provide care.

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