Investigation: Waiting To Die: General Hospital Located in Delta Lawmaker Ferguson Onwo’s Hometown Serving Several Isoko Communities Reduced to Ruins — Operating with One Doctor, No Electricity, No Oxygen, Rotting Structures Leave Isoko Residents Abandoned to Slow Death

Secrets Reporters

Discreet investigations by this online media have revealed that the government General Hospital in Olomoro, located at the heart of Isoko South local government area of Delta State, is lying in ruins, leaving several communities that depend on it to seek for health care services in other places.

From decaying structures to insufficient manpower and lack of adequate equipment, drugs, and even electricity, the hospital, once hailed as a standard habitat for ailing residents of Isoko South, is now begging for life as both human and material resources are decaying away.

Remarkably, the hospital, which serves Isoko South’s major communities such as Iyede, Enweh, Igbide, Olomoro, Enurie, Emede, Owodokpokpo, and even Emede, is situated in the hometown of Ferguson Onwo, the lawmaker representing Isoko South II constituency at the Delta State House of Assembly.

From the rusting signboard to the inside, the hospital, once a welcoming sight to behold, is now an eyesore, forcing visitors to wonder in outright bewilderment why the State Government has left it to rust away.

In a discreet interview, an insider source told SecretsReporters that the hospital is operating with only one medical doctor and about six nurses. “For more than four years, we used to have only one doctor who made it a law to attend to only ten patients in a day.”

Because of this law, patients had to go to the hospital a day before or at midnight to get a number ahead of the next day. Corroborating this, a middle-aged Oniovosa who lives in Olomoro, told this online media that “When my son was sick, I went to the hospital but I was told the numbers for the day were complete. Because of this, I had to go to the hospital around 4am the next day just to get a number and as at that, I was given number 5. This was the practice and before day breaks, the numbers would have been complete and anyone who comes afterward will not be attended to or such a person would take a number ahead of the next day”.

According to the insider source, one additional doctor joined the hospital about a year ago but unfortunately, one of them passed on months later, leaving the hospital with one.

Another source who frequents the hospital told our Reporter that “they have a reputation of not treating people and that is why people no longer patronize them”. Speaking further, the source said “the doctor that was there before does not attend to children less than five years old, so no matter what your child is going through, if you take him or her to that place, they won’t attend to the child. I have a neighbor who suffered from this – the doctor refused to attend to her child”.

This online media gathered that for over a year now, the hospital does not have electricity supply. A source who lives close to the hospital told our reporter that “they said their wire got bad so for over a year now, they don’t have light”.

According to the source, the hospital now relies on solar and a generator for light. In a heart-wrenching revelation, the source said “if you want to do a surgical operation, they will ask you to pay separate money to buy fuel.” 

Narrating her ordeal, a source who had been admitted in the hospital a few months ago, said it took four days before she could see a doctor despite being admitted in the hospital. “They lack so many drugs so what they normally do is that they will recommend the drugs for you to go and buy in any pharmacy around”.

According to the source, the hospital does not have “oxygen” and they only have one staff in the lab so whenever she is not around or she puts to bed, the world stands still until she returns and sometimes, a youth corps member act in her capacity.

Harping on the conduct of staff, the source said the nurses don’t work during public holidays. “They will tell you that they’re observing public holiday so there is no work. If you go there during a public holiday, you will meet only one nurse who is probably on alert for others and she will not attend to anyone”.

“These nurses have the habit of selling the hospital drugs to people outside to make money,” the source added.

Another source who bemoaned the deteriorating state of the hospital did not mince words when he said “You cannot rush someone to that hospital at midnight because you won’t find any doctor there. That hospital serves Iyede, Enweh, Igbide, Olomoro, Enurie, Emede, Owodokpokpo and even Emede but look at it today, it is a shame”.

He attributed the state of the hospital to leadership failure especially on the part of Isoko Politicians. “We have leaders elected into offices to represent our interest but no, they’re only representing their personal interest. That hospital is in the hometown of Ferguson Onwo but he is not bothered because he and his family members don’t use it.”

We gathered that in a new development, a new doctor was recently posted to the hospital after the only one (simply identified as Dr. John) who has been there went on study leave. When our reporter disguised as a patient to make inquiries from one of the nurses, she said the new doctor has instructed them to always be proactive in attending to patients. 

“This new doctor is trying to ensure that things are properly done and patients are attended to no matter how many they are”. A source had earlier told our reporter that people now shy away from the hospital due to its reputation of not attending to patients.  

It could be recalled that the Isoko Nation recently accused Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of sidelining them in the scheme of things. Several corporate Isoko groups have issued statements bemoaning the state government of leaving Isoko behind in the allocation of the state resources.

Reacting to recent criticisms from a section of the Isoko Nation, the Delta State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu said such remarks were either politically motivated or made by individuals unaware of the level of development in their communities.

He noted that there is hardly any meeting of the State Executive Council where projects are not approved for Isoko, citing the recent approval of the Ogodogo–Ivu Access Road in Okpolo-Enhwe, Isoko South Local Government Area, at a cost of ₦5.1 billion, a strategic route leading to major oil facilities.

“In the last two years, Governor Oborevwori has demonstrated fairness across all divides in the state, and while citizens have the right to make demands, such demands should acknowledge the progress already made rather than suggest nothing is being done,” Charles Aniagwu, said.

When contacted for comments, the Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme did not take his calls.