Rubochi hospital faces water, electricity challenges

The Rubochi General Hospital in Kuje Area Council of the FCT has been facing challenges of potable water and electricity; findings by our reporter have shown. Aso Chronicle gathered that the hospital’s electricity is supplied by a 5 KVA generator for some hours to attend to emergency cases due to lack of stable electricity supply […]

The Rubochi General Hospital in Kuje Area Council of the FCT has been facing challenges of potable water and electricity; findings by our reporter have shown.

Aso Chronicle gathered that the hospital’s electricity is supplied by a 5 KVA generator for some hours to attend to emergency cases due to lack of stable electricity supply from the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).

The 48-bed hospital which was commissioned by the then FCT Minister, Jeremiah Useni, in 1990, was meant to be a comprehensive health centre, but was converted to a general hospital just like those in Abaji, Bwari, Kubwa, Wuse, except that of Gwagwalada, which has remained uncompleted.

A Kuje resident, Mr. Lazarus Musa, said lack of pipe borne water was the major challenge facing the hospital and that the hospital depended on water from a well in its premises.

“Even the local well does not supply much water, so cleaners and relatives of patients sometimes have to get water from outside the hospital,” he said.

Our reporter who went round the hospital observed that three overhead tanks at different locations within the premises are not functional, and this was confirmed by a source who said the tanks had remained out of use for many years and that a water tanker from Abaji which sometimes supplied them with water had broken down.

He said the hospital hardly received up to 15 patients in a month because they preferred to take advantage of the proximity of Abaji to go for treatment either in private or government hospitals.

He said the management had made several efforts to address the water and electricity problems, but that it was financially handicapped.

The source lamented over the dilapidated three-bedroom flats doctors’ residence which are located within the hospital.

The source, who conducted our reporter round the buildings, said the doctors’ residence was last renovated by the FCT administration in 2009.

Aso Chronicle observed that some ceilings have fallen down due to termites, while the walls have cracked.

While responding on the situation at the hospital, the Secretary, Health and Human Services Secretariat, Barrister Amanda Pam, debunked the issue of the General Hospital Rubochi not having electricity or water supply. 

She put a call through to the medical director of the hospital to confirm if actually there was no water or electricity in the hospital, but the MD told the secretary that there was water supply in the hospital and that they even had a borehole within the premises and also a generator set which was normally kept on till about 12 midnight anytime there was no power.