Ahoada Zonal Hospital: Amb. Emeni Ibe Appeals For Urgent State Govt’s Intervention 

The President General of the Orashi National Congress, ONC, Ambassador Comrade Emeni Ibe, JP, AP, has called on the Rivers State Government to urgently intervene in the deteriorating conditions at the Ahoada Zonal Hospital.

Barely eight months after the facility was commissioned by Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara, the hospital is reportedly grappling with severe electricity and water shortages that are threatening service delivery.

During a visit to the hospital, Amb. Ibe observed that there was no public power supply to the facility. He noted that the solar panels installed at the hospital are insufficient to provide steady electricity, especially during the rainy season.

“’We appeal to the Rivers State Hospitals Management Board to come over and fix the situation. The hospital facilities in place are supposed to provide both electricity and water,” Amb. Ibe said.

He added that the current weather has further worsened the situation.
“We gathered that the current rainy season has affected the amount of sunlight available to fully charge the inverters and it is our belief that something needs to be done to remedy the situation.”

The ONC President General raised alarm over the acute water shortage at the hospital. According to staff and patients, people fetch water from outside or rely on a well within the hospital premises.

Hospital workers told Amb. Ibe that with only about six doctors on ground, the lack of water sometimes forces surgeons and nurses to use well water to wash before and after surgical procedures.

More worrisome, Amb. Ibe alleged that the surgical department lacks adequate sterilization equipment.
“The hospital does not have adequate sterilization equipment, forcing staff to rely on manual methods of sterilizing equipment, which they described as unhygienic for patients,” he said.

Staff also decried the condition in the theatre, alleging that phone torches and natural light through open windows have sometimes been used to provide illumination during surgeries.

“They described the services as very unfortunate and said there is still urgent need for improvements, particularly in electricity and water supply,” Amb. Ibe stated.

The ONC PG specifically called on the Chief Medical Director of the Rivers State Hospitals Management Board, Dr. Bright Ogbondah, to visit the facility for an on-the-spot assessment.

He urged the Board to deploy immediate solutions to restore stable electricity and potable water supply, stressing that the hospital was built to serve millions of people across Orashi and neighboring communities.

“The Ahoada Zonal Hospital was commissioned with so much hope. We cannot allow it to fail our people because of power and water. The government must act now,” Amb. Ibe said.

The ONC reaffirmed its support for Governor Fubara’s healthcare agenda, but insisted that urgent steps must be taken to prevent the new hospital from collapsing under basic infrastructural challenges.