Healthcare delivery in Taraba State is under severe strain as a critical shortage of doctors and dilapidated infrastructure continue to leave millions of residents with little or no access to quality medical services.
According to findings by CDA News Nigeria, the state’s doctor-to-patient ratio stands at an alarming 1:15,000, far below the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 1:600. Many general hospitals across the 16 local government areas lack basic equipment, running water, and consistent electricity.
“We lose preventable deaths every week because there is no doctor on duty or no ambulance to refer patients. The situation is heartbreaking,” a senior nurse at a rural hospital in Jalingo told CDA News Nigeria.
The state government has acknowledged the crisis, with the Commissioner for Health admitting that over 60 percent of doctor positions are vacant due to poor remuneration, lack of housing, and insecurity in rural areas.
Efforts to recruit foreign medical graduates and partner with NGOs have so far yielded limited results. Health rights groups have called on the Taraba State Government to declare a state of emergency in the health sector.
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