By Damilare Adeleye
Ahead of the looming nationwide protest in August, the Bauchi State government has announced that it will shut down all the Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) in the state on the day of the protest.
The planned protest, which has gained traction on social media, was slated to hold between August 1 to August 10.
In reaction to the planned demonstration, the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Board, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, said the state government would shut down health facilities to protect the lives of healthcare staff and patients as the government envisaged potential security breach during the protest.
Mohammed during the opening of the bi-annual media engagement on PHC Services Reporting Techniques held in Bauchi said, “Security reports have indicated that our PHCs may be targeted during the protest.
“We are not willing to risk the lives of our staff and patients. So, we will be closing these facilities.”
According to him, healthcare staff in the state would be on holiday on the protest date to avoid becoming victims of any potential attacks.
Mohammed said, “Normal services will resume after the protest concludes. The board has informed security agencies to protect healthcare facilities across the state.”