Hoodlums Loot, Destroy FG’s 80-Bed Specialist Hospital In Oyo
The Federal Government’s 80-bed Mother and Child Specialist Hospital in Pakiotan, Ogbomoso North Local Government Area of Oyo State, has been vandalised by yet-to-be-identified hoodlums.
The facility, which was equipped with hospital beds, drugs, laboratory equipment and other medical consumables, was designed to serve as an urban health centre for maternal and child care.
It was facilitated by a former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, completed and inaugurated on 27 May 2023, before being handed over to the Federal Ministry of Health through the University College Hospital, Ibadan.
Speaking while conducting journalists round the vandalised facility on Wednesday, the Onipakiotan of Pakiotan, Oba James Ojo, described the incident as disheartening, recalling that some cables were destroyed and replaced by Dare even before the hospital’s inauguration.
He lamented that the hospital had remained unused since it was handed over, with no security presence to safeguard the property.
“Recently, we noticed signs of intrusion, and when one of Dare’s aides joined us to inspect the site, we were shocked to discover that all the cables, 150 solar batteries, electrical appliances, ceiling fans and other valuable items had been removed,” the monarch said.
He noted that the land for the project was released by the community to ensure quality healthcare for residents, adding that abandonment of the facility made it vulnerable to attacks.
The traditional ruler appealed to the Federal Ministry of Health, through UCH, to either commence operations at the facility immediately or hand it over to the community for proper management.
“If the hospital had been put to use, such incidents would not have happened,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Ogbomoso North Local Government, Ogunlade Gbadegesin, expressed concern over the abandonment, saying valuable medical equipment had already been looted while the rest remained at risk.
He promised that security personnel would be engaged to safeguard what was left until the hospital became operational.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
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