Government hospitals in Anambra state have been ascribed mortuary status following government's inability to rehabilitate, equip as well as make them functional and accessible by the citizenry .
This was the crux of the matter at plenary as lawmakers in the 6th Anambra legislature took turns to speak on the deplorable conditions of government-owned hospitals in their various constituencies and local government areas .
Mr. Kingsley Chukwuma Iruba of Nnewi-south constituency 1 in his motion bemoaned the pitiable condition of General Hospital Ukpor in Nnewi-south local government area.
Mr. Iruba said it was the only government hospital in the entire council area closest to the people.
The lawmaker stated that since the hospital was handed over to the state government, no tangible effort has been made to give it a befitting status of a general hospital.
He berated the fact that the people of Nnewi-south council area were subjected to untold hardship and suffering in search of a functional hospital where their health needs would be attended to saying that due to the deplorable condition of the hospital, many minor ailments have resulted to deaths.
According to him Ukpor general hospital has been described as a glorified mortuary, this was even as he called on the state governor Chief Willie Obiano to as a matter of urgency, rehabilitate, equip and make functional the health facility in order to save the people from further preventable deaths.
Obinna Chris Emeneka of Anambra-east constituency on his part brought to the notice of the house that the general hospital in Nando Anambra-east local government area has become moribund and no longer functional.
This was contained in the motion he presented urging the state governor to direct the commissioner for health to urgently rehabilitate as well as upgrade Nando general hospital
Emeneka explained that the hospital serves as the first alternative healthcare centre for cutuzens and residents of Nando and its environs owing to the infinitesimal number of private hospitals in the area.
He expressed worry that the hospital was grossly under-staffed and ill-equipped for proper diagnosis as well as treatment of ailments which he said was responsible for human lives that have been lost in the area due to poor healthcare delivery ; owing to the incapability of the state hospital to meet the diverse health needs of its patients .
The lawmaker further disclosed that Nando general hospital originated in the 60s and handed over to the Anambra state government in 1990 but eversince the hospital has been abandoned and neglected by the state government adding that rehabilitating the hospital would greatly enhance healthcare delivery in the area .
Other lawmakers equally lent their voices on the conditions of government hospitals in their respective constituencies . Onyebuchi Augustine Ofor of Ekwusigo constituency maintained that the two general hospitals in Ozubulu and Oraifite respectively were now general mortuaries in Ekwusigo local government area .
Ofor who noted that general hospitals should be the last hope of the common man, expressed displeasure that government has lost grip of the health sector in Anambra state judging from the level of dilapidation at the hospitals .
Lawrence Ezeudu representing Dunukofia state constituency also said that the general hospitals in Ukpo and Ifitedunu have gone comatose and inaccessible .
Ezeudu posited that there was need for government to be more proactive in its medical and health policies in order to ensure that government hospitals were rehabilitated and made functional for easy access.
Chairman House of Assembly Committee on Health and member representing Awka-south 1 constituency Dr.Nnamdi Okafor noted that rehabilitation of general hospitals across the state was on-going.
Okafor therefore made case for functional and modernised general hospitals in Anambra state where people can access quality healthcare services .
End
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