Outrage Over Deplorable State of Ibbi Hospital

•Hospital at the verge of collapse- Residents

•We will carry out emergency repairs soon- Vakkai, Health Commissioner

Taraba Truth and Facts Exclusive

Outrage has trailed the deplorable state and decay at the Cottage Hospital Ibi, Ibi Local Government Area of the state following years of neglect.  

Concerned by the poor state of the hospital, residents of Ibbi local government alleged that the facility is at the verge of collapse with years of shortage of medical personnel, infrastructure dilapidation and underfunding.

They alleged that the facility had become a show of its former self which was not fit for the treatment of animals and that the state government had allegedly abandoned and leave residents in the area to their fate.  

The aggrieved residents said that apart from the fact that the facility remains largely inaccessible, it is ill-equipped, inadequately staffed and underfunded which had forced residents to resort to self-help and local cure.

"The portion of the facility's roof has caved in during a rainstorm, and patients always stand or sit at other section of the room during rainfall while the ceilings and windows are in dire need of attention to prevent them from falling off as seen a viral video clip trending online," one of the residents told our correspondent. 

An investigation by Taraba Truth and Facts revealed that the hospital which was built many decades ago is lacking so many facilities thereby denying the people access to good health care delivery.

The hospital was constructed during the era of the defunct Gongola State and handed over to Taraba State government at it's creation.

Some of the Residents of the area who spoke with Taraba Truth and Facts under the condition of anonymity make case for urgent intervention of the Taraba State government to salvage the hospital from collapse.

They observed that at the moment the hospital remains the people source of medical service delivery and appealed to the state government to rehabilitate the health facility.

When contacted the Executive chairman of Ibi local government area a Hon Bala Bako said that when he was the Caretaker committee chairman of Ibi he rehabilitated some parts of the hospital.

He said that he changed the roof of the hospital and repair it because it was leaking during raining season noting that he has present the issue to the state government.

However, while reacting to residents complaint, the state's Commissioner for Health, Dr Innocent Vakkai, said that the government would soon embark on emergency repairs of the facility. 

"The Hospital will be given urgent attention before we commence full reconstruction in the second phase," he told our correspondent.