Outrage followed after claims of neglect and mismanagement from a political and social activist named Bidemi Orisah who claimed that there were major problems with patient safety in the Ahoada Zonal Hospital in Rivers State.
The claim was made in her life video posted on her Facebook account on Wednesday.
According to Orisah, conditions in the emergency room were deplorable because there was no power supply, and the patients had to endure extreme heat because they did not even have fans.
“The person I went to pay a visit. I on my phone torch, I was looking for her. Imagine using your phone torch, you flash bed one, that is not the person. You flash bed two, that is not the person you are looking for. You flash bed three, that is not the person you are also looking for,” she louded her as she voices out her frustration.
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She complained that patients were made to pay N200 each to enable the fetching of water from somewhere outside, which according to her is not only inhumane but also not tolerable for any public health facility.
“All the patients on the ward there, contribute 200 naira. It’s three months, ” she said after the state government commissioned the Zonal hospital.
In her opinion, just three months into the commissioning of the hospital, where things like air conditioning and provision of water used to be available, things have now become very bad.
She further stated that the patient who was struggling for her life had to be transferred to another hospital because there was no oxygen available.
Also, Orisha complained about the inadequacy of staff and substandard welfare facilities in the hospital, where the whole cleaning work was done by one cleaner earning N20,000 per month without any cleaning materials.
“What will N20,000 buy in this economy? Give me an answer. 20,000 Naira salary per month,” she said in explanation of the issue in English Language, after being translated from Pidgin language.
She also complained about the unprofessional attitude of some hospital workers, and she called on authorities to act immediately because the continuous delay might cause the loss of many lives.
“We have a lot of people that are studying medicine and surgery. Their certificates are wasting away. Give them employment,” she said.
Though complaining about the difficulties in the sector, including shortage of manpower, she encouraged the government to employ more professionals.
She also encouraged the community people to forget their politics and work together to ensure accountability, emphasizing that the hospital is a crucial source of hope for the people in Ahoada and its environs.
As at now, there has been no response from the management of the hospital and the Rivers State Ministry of Health to the allegation made.
