Shortage of water, poor electricity supply among other challenges have crippled medical services in many public secondary health facilities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Our reporter also gathered that poor funding, obsolete equipment and shortage of staff and insecurity, are other major challenges facing general hospitals in the rural areas of the FCT.
City News learnt that the situation has discouraged patients from going the hospitals.
A visit to Rubochi General Hospital recently revealed that the hospital which serves over 30 surrounding communities had acute water shortage and epileptic electricity supply.
The 45-bed facility had, as a result of lack of amenities, suffered low turn out of patients.
The Agabe of Ugbada, in Gwargwarda chiefdom, Alhaji Hussaini Agabi Mam, while speaking with newsmen on the condition of the hospital recently, appealed
for timely intervention in the area of power supply and provision of drugs to the facility.
The royal father recalled that the hospital was shut down for sometime before it was reopened for operations, just as he commended the management and staff of the hospital for their commitment to duty, despite the prevailing challenges.
Also speaking, the medical director of Rubochi General Hospital, Dr. Ita Edim, decried the neglect of the hospital, even as he appealed to the administration to take healthcare delivery services to the next level.
At Abaji General Hospital, poor funding, shortage of water and epileptic power supply, insecurity, inadequate staff and poor welfare for staff were identified as the major challenges facing the health facility.
The medical director of the hospital, Dr. Kizaya Donatus said the hospital was also facing the challenge of congestion, problem of space, paucity of funds to sustain free antenatal care for pregnant women, as well as slow pace of work in the completion of building meant for accident and emergencies.
Speaking when he visited Rubochi General Hospital on Tuesday, the secretary for Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS), Malam Adamu Abubakar Bappah, promised to improve the conditions of the public hospitals in the FCT, especially those in the rural areas.
Other facilities affected by similar conditions were Kuje and Kwali general hospitals.
