Located on an acre of land but looking deserted and rusty with rooftops blown off in several sections, the above explained the level neglect suffered by Comprehensive Healthcare Centre, Konda area, Ilobu, Irepodun Local Government Area of Osun State.

“Look up, you can’t enter that section. Wasps have taken over and it may sting you.” This was the caution given to this reporter when he tried to access some sections in the hospital including the delivery ward. The stingy ants have built several colonies in the section.

As the reporter entered the hospital complex, he was greeted by an open rooftop. This was a precursor to what was later seen inside the facility.

According to investigation, the lack of maintenance since 2001, when the administration of Chief Bisi Akande constructed and commissioned the building, has resulted in a deteriorated facility, from broken roofs to poor power supply, bushy environment, rustic equipment and broken window without mosquito net.

The unfortunate condition, where wasps compete for space with patients, is a stark contrast to its once-conducive environment as stated by past staff of the medical facility and residents of the community.

The flooded reception area and the compromised state of patient records highlight the urgent need for improvements. The laboratory’s broken rooftop and abandoned equipment are testaments to the ability of the hospital to provide basic services to thousands of residents living in the community.

According to a community who preferred to remain anonymous because he’s a civil servant, several doctors posted to the hospital have demanded for transfer due to the state of the facility.

“It’s disheartening that such a crucial healthcare facility has been left in a state that may deter people from seeking essential medical services. Several medical doctors and senior nurses posted here in the last few years have demanded transfers as they found this facility inhospitable. The community has written to the government at different times but no results.”

Mr Basiru Adegbite, a resident of Atoyebi, one of the adjourning communities said the hospital serves Ilobu, Erin-Osun, Okinni, Alapupu and some parts of Ifon-Osun.

Adegbite said: “When this hospital was running perfectly, people came from different places such as Ifon, Erin, Osogbo and other communities because it’s the only secondary facility around.

“But due to lack of maintenance and poor facilities, patients stopped coming. This was the first point of referral from Primary Healthcare Centres in Ilobu, Erin and other areas.”

Adegbite pleaded with the government to revitalize the facility and make it functional.

Asanat Jimoh, an over 70-year-old woman whose house was directly opposite the hospital, said pregnant women have stopped coming for antenatal, stating that current staff only work till 6pm and shut the facility.

“We plead to the government to bring in workers to the facility for it to function properly again. Presently, we no one can use this place. If a woman goes into labour at night, she can’t access this place as no one will be on ground,” she said.

Oyetegbe Omoyemi who also spoke with us echoed the same view with other persons we interviewed.

When contacted, the Special Adviser to Governor Ademola Adeleke on Public Health, Dr Adekunle Akindele, ascribed the rots to the neglect by the past administrations of former Governors Rauf Aregbesola and Adegboyega Oyetola, adding that the problem in Osun health sector “spreads across and not limited to Konda CHC.”

Akindele said: “The state of the facility is the general status of in all sectors of the state. Before the present government, we had 12 years of uninterrupted administration of APC, and in those 12 years most of these facilities were not attended to, especially the secondary health facilities.”

Akindele however said the present administration of Governor Adeleke has commenced rehabilitation of 345 PHCs, adding that those of secondary facility will commence soon.

He furthered by saying: “The case of this Ilobu health centre is not different. We have 27 of such centres across the state. When we came on board, we did analysis and assessment of these facilities from the primary to the secondary and the tertiary health centres and to address everything at once will be costly and humongous for us, so we decided to do them in phases. Thankfully the governor has approved the upgrade of 345 primary health centres and in a few weeks the renovations and upgrades will commence.”

He said: "The first upgrade was informed by our discovery that 99% of these facilities don’t have electricity. Solars will be installed for 24hours electricity supply. Most of the boreholes are not working, so the water will also be running within the facilities and we’re not stopping there, lack of personnel is also one of the problems met because no recruitment was made in 12 years. We’re working on that too.

Akindele also said: “We have 27 comprehensive health centres and it’s the same story everywhere and not habitable and we’ve worked on that, after the 345 we will work on at least 9 of those comprehensive health centres, one from each federal constituency, they will be fixed and made habitable for patients and medical practitioners. I can tell you that the Ilobu hospital will be one of them.”

He stated that “it is not the fault of the hospital, and it is not the health sector alone; roads, schools have not been attended to, but the governor is committed to the health and well-being of the people. The 345 we are working on the closest to the people in terms of healthcare, it is humongous, but we’re determined to fix it and after we can look into the comprehensive health centres and the llobu comprehensive health centres will be part of the ones that will be fixed after the renovations of the primary health centres.” (InsightMedia)

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