PWCDI, SOMSA, UNFPA Extends Free Healthcare Services to Tambuwal Community
By Gbolahan Salman Sokoto
Residents of Dogondaji community in Tambuwal Local Government Area have benefited from a free integrated medical outreach organised by the Pathfinder Women and Children Development Initiative (PWCDI) in collaboration with the Sokoto State Medical Students Association (SOMSA), Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto Chapter, with support from United Nations Population Fund.
The outreach, themed “Expanding Access to RMNCAH+N Services,” was held at the Dogondaji Community Cooperative Health Centre and targeted women, children and adolescents with a range of essential healthcare services.
Speaking during the programme, UNFPA Programme Coordinator, Hajiya Jamila Abubakar Gatawa of the Sokoto State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, said the intervention aligns with the agency’s mandate to improve access to integrated healthcare, particularly for vulnerable populations in rural communities.
She noted that many rural residents continue to face challenges in accessing quality Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) services, adding that the outreach was designed to bring such services closer to the people.
Gatawa, who also serves as Deputy Director of International Cooperation in the ministry, expressed satisfaction with the large turnout of beneficiaries and encouraged communities to continue embracing similar health interventions.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director of Community Health at the Sokoto State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Hajiya Fatima Ahmed, described the outreach as a timely initiative that complements the state government’s efforts to strengthen primary healthcare delivery.
She explained that beneficiaries requiring further medical attention were being referred to appropriate health facilities through the state’s referral system to ensure continuity of care.
According to her, data collected during the outreach will support future planning and improve healthcare service delivery across the state.
Ahmed also appealed to husbands to support their wives and children in accessing healthcare services, stressing that early medical intervention is essential for family wellbeing.
Earlier, the Head of PWCDI, Barrister Aisha Muhammad Dantsoho, said the outreach was initiated following community needs assessments that identified gaps in access to basic healthcare, family planning and nutrition services for women and children.
She commended community leaders for mobilising residents, which contributed to the successful turnout recorded during the exercise.
Some beneficiaries expressed appreciation to the organisers, saying the outreach gave them access to free services, including blood pressure checks, family planning counselling and child immunisation, without the burden of travelling long distances or paying for care.
