Angry Families Demand FG Intervention over UCH Blackout, Patients Plight
Families of patients at the University College Hospital in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Monday, staged a peaceful protest against persistent power outages in the institution.
THECONSCIENCE NG reports that incessant power outages have been recurring in the hospital since it was grouped into Band A electricity consumers.
The News Agency of Nigeria also reports that there has not been light at UCH since October 26 when the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company disconnected the hospital due to accumulated debts.
The hospital management and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company had recently disputed the accumulated electricity bill.
Following the development, the Joint Health Sector Unions at the UCH appealed to the Federal Government to come to the institution’s aid.
On Monday, families of patients admitted to the hospital lamented incessant power outages.
Some relatives lamented the inability to get quality medical attention from the hospital due to the power outage.
A few hours after the protest, it was gathered that the electricity supply was restored to the institution.
One of the protesters, Adetunji Lawal, questioned: “What measures can be implemented to ensure that power supply becomes a priority for healthcare facilities like UCH?
“The threat of healthcare workers downing tools serves as a powerful reminder of the stakes involved in this issue. Medical professionals are dedicated to their work, but their safety and the safety of their patients must come first.
“The reality of healthcare in Nigeria, often challenged by inadequate infrastructure, must be addressed with urgency and commitment.
“UCH is not the only institution grappling with these challenges, but the government and relevant authorities must take heed of their protest.”
He stressed that a concerted effort must be made to resolve the power supply issues to safeguard the health and well-being of the community.
Another protester, who did not want her name in print, said “We are tired of our loved ones suffering; patients are dying because they cannot receive the medical tests needed for treatment.
“The outages have not only hindered immediate medical assessments but have also severely complicated ongoing treatments, leaving families in a state of despair.
“Hospital administration has a responsibility to ensure a safe and reliable environment for both patients and staff. The risk of having medical procedures interrupted or delayed due to power failures is unacceptable in any healthcare setting.”
Speaking on behalf of some of the patients’ relatives, one Mr Ismail Mohammed decried the fact that his father was not attended to because the test result was not out.
“We did a test for almost two weeks now, but the result is not yet out. They have been telling us the same story of ‘no light’ and ‘no light’ since then.
“The doctors cannot attend to him till the result is out, and that is the most painful thing. We are supposed to have left the hospital before now if the result was out,” he said.
Also, one Mr. Water Chimee lamented that patients were suffering because the power outage affected everything.
“My baby sister who has been on oxygen has not been attended to because the result of the test we did is not out yet.
