The Ohafia General Hospital in Abia is in a deplorable condition?and in dire need of immediate government's attention, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
A?check by?a NAN correspondent at the?hospital on Saturday,?showed that the building?was dilapidated with leaking roofs.
The premises, which has some abandoned projects including the proposed Doctors’ Quarters, has been taken over by weeds,?over-grown flowers and ornamental trees.
Office furniture such as tables, chairs and file cabinets are?obsolete, while?its window blinds have all worn out.
NAN learnt that public electricity?supply to the hospital was disrupted more than two years ago after some?poles?were damaged?by windstorm.
Some patients in the hospital?attributed the?situation?to long years of neglect by successive administrations in the state.
They explained that doctors deployed in the hospital in the past found it difficult to cope with the situation.
?“They preferred to live and operate from Aba or Umuahia and were never regular at the hospital.
A patient, who gave her name?simply as Comfort,?explained that the hospital was faced with the dearth of medical personnel.
Another patient, Mr Kalu Okpan, however, said?there had been some?improvement in the medical services provided in the hospital, in spite of its inadequate medical personnel.
The?72-year old Okpan attributed the improvement to the “commitment of the new doctor in-charge.’’
He said the doctor had restored the people’s confidence in the hospital, adding?that “our major problem is the lack of drugs''.
“We hardly get the doctors’ prescriptions at the hospital pharmacy; we always buy our drugs from patent medicine stores.’’
The?Medical Officer in charge of the hospital, Dr. Okoronkwo Ukaoha, said?it currently had two doctors and six nurses.
Ukaoha said that the number was grossly inadequate to handle the number of patients ranging from 40-45 that patronised the hospital daily.
He said?the facility,?which also handled about four medical operations weekly, required at least six doctors and 20 nurses to meet the public demand.
He said?that in 1992, the hospital had six doctors and 38 nurses, adding?that patients?from its?neighbouring communities of Nkporo and Abiriba benefited from?its services.
Ukaoha said?the hospital relied on electricity generator to carry out operations and?appealed to the Ohafia Local Government to assist in reconnecting power to the building.
He?urged the state government to complete the abandoned Doctors’ Quarters and other projects in the hospital, to make?them conducive for both workers and patients.
The Officer?further called on the state government to institute a Drug Revolving Loan for the hospital?to tackle the out-of-stock syndrome. (NAN)