In a heart-wrenching turn of events, Kuje General Hospital, situated in one of Abuja’s satellite towns, transformed into a scene of mourning on Saturday as a pregnant woman in labor and two children succumbed to their conditions amidst a critical absence of medical personnel.
Patients, already in distress, found themselves abandoned as the hospital remained devoid of doctors to attend to their urgent medical needs. With no medical professionals in sight, families faced the agonizing choice of seeking costly treatment at private facilities or clinging to hope within the hospital’s walls.
Scheduled to commence clinical services at 8 am, the hospital was besieged by patients and their anxious relatives hours before its opening. However, by 4 pm, not a single doctor was present to offer assistance, except for one exhausted doctor on call, visibly overwhelmed by the overwhelming demand.
Tragedy struck when a child, merely 22 months old, passed away in the emergency unit around 11 am, left unattended while the doctor was away. Similarly, in the maternity ward, a pregnant woman lost her life along with her unborn child due to the absence of medical personnel to perform a necessary cesarean section in time.
When questioned about his absence despite the influx of patients in need, the lone doctor on duty cited fatigue and the need for sustenance, having worked tirelessly for over 24 hours.
Eyewitnesses, though dismayed by the dire circumstances, expressed empathy for the overburdened doctor, recognizing his solitary efforts amidst a staffing crisis. Meanwhile, responsible authorities, including Dr. Festus and Dr. Bernadine Odukoye, faced scrutiny for their alleged role in exacerbating the situation through unfair distribution of duties and favoritism.
Reports also shed light on systemic issues plaguing the hospital, including a chronic shortage of doctors over the past five years and administrative negligence, with allegations of mismanagement and inadequate recruitment processes within the FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat.
Tragically, incidents of doctors collapsing from exhaustion while on duty are not isolated, underscoring the urgent need for systemic reforms to safeguard both patients and medical professionals alike.
Efforts to reach the Chief Medical Director for comment were unsuccessful, further highlighting the systemic challenges facing Kuje General Hospital and government-owned medical facilities across the FCT.