Nick Malins

PATIENTS who are mostly pregnant women and Nursing mothers at the General Hospital, Ekpan in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta state have made a passionate appeal to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan to prevail on the Ministry of Health and the management of the Ekpan General Hospital to provide them with adequate bedding, water and other facilities to make their admission in the hospital worthwhile.

Some of the pregnant women and nursing mothers who spoke to our Correspondent on the condition of anonymity said, it was a very pitiable and laughable situation to see pregnant and nursing mothers on admission at the hospital sharing a bed.

According a respondent; “It is a very disgusting and pitiable situation to see two pregnant women and even mothers who just delivered being assigned to a bed.”

The respondent added that; “There is also no water, no electricity, and no mosquito net as provided by the State Governor. In fact mosquitoes had to feast on us and our new babies; we are therefore using this medium to make a passionate appeal to the State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan to prevail on the State ministry of Health and the Management of the Ekpan General Hospital to provide patients with necessary amenities, especially enough beds, water, electricity and mosquito nets.”

Another respondent who also crave for anonymity corroborated her colleagues complaints when she said “My husband’s friend had to bring water for us (mother and child) in jerry cans to use in the hospital.”

The patients also complained of the lackadaisical attitude of some of the nurses who refused to give them good and proper attention even at the crucial point of her labour.

Hear one of them “But for God’s intervention, I would have delivered on my way back home as the nurse on duty refused me admission saying what I was having was a mere pain.”

Spirited efforts made to reach the hospital management to comment on the issue proved abortive.