Patients with different ailments including those recommended for laboratory tests were on Tuesday stranded at Abaji General Hospital over what they called shortage of medical personnel at the hospital.

Abuja Metro visited the hospital on Tuesday morning and observed that several patients, especially women queued up at the laboratory department to obtain test results.

Pregnant women were seen in one of the entrances waiting to be attended to. Other patients suffering from one illness or the other were seen at a section of the hospital waiting to be attended to by the doctors on duty.

Only two patients were seen at the accident and emergency unit of the hospital and they were seen being attended to, while at the General Outpatient Department (GOPD) of the hospital, nursing mothers with their newborns were admitted at the department.

Some of the patients, who spoke with our reporter, lamented over what they called shortage of medical personnel at the hospital.

They said the inadequate medical personnel at the hospital had been responsible for the delay in attending to the patients.

One of the patients, who gave her name as Maryam said, ?Some of us came to this hospital around 7:34 am and up till now, they are yet to be attended to due to the insufficient medical personnel.

?If you go to the ante-natal section of the hospital, it is the same thing as many pregnant women are there waiting to be attended to.?

A staff of the hospital, who preferred anonymity, told our reporter that the influx of patients to the hospital was due to the Sallah break, saying some medical personnel that went for the break were yet to resume.

He also complained of shortage of medical personnel, especially doctors, admitting that the hospital has always been overstretched with patients due to lack of enough doctors.

He said, ?And Apart from those who went for Sallah break that are yet to resume, the hospital lacks enough doctors, which is why some of us that are on duty overworked. If you go to each section of the hospital, you will see crowd of patients waiting for doctor or a medical scientist for laboratory tests.?? Abuja Metro observed as patients that were recommended for laboratory tests, including some pregnant women, were seen on queue waiting to be attended to.

The medical director of the hospital was said not to be on ground as at the time when our reporter visited as his office was under lock and key.

But last week, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, approved the employment of 34 resident doctors for the general hospitals in all the six area councils. Senior Special Assistant to the minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, said the newly employed doctors were the first batch of the 60 medical residency trainees in eight faculties and specialties across FCTA hospitals.

He said the approval marks a significant milestone in medical recruitment, as it extends beyond employees of the Health Management Board, offering more opportunities for doctors and enhancing the quality of medical services in the FCT. (Daily Trust)