By Inemesit Friday
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Cross River State, Barrister Venatius Ikem, has called on Governor Bassey Otu to declare a state of emergency in the state’s health sector over what he described as prevailing neglect leading to the worsening collapse of healthcare services across the state.
Ikem, who spoke while interacting with journalists, expressed concern over the condition of public health facilities in the state, revealing that the only functional General Hospitals located in Calabar and Akamkpa operate without stable electricity supply, forcing medical personnel to rely on petrol provided by patients’ families or phone torch lights during surgical procedures.
According to him, the situation has exposed patients to serious health risks and reflects the deep challenges confronting the healthcare system in the state.
“The health sector in Cross River is in a shambolic condition and requires urgent intervention. It is unacceptable that surgeries are being carried out with the aid of phone torch lights because there is no electricity in some General Hospitals,” Ikem said.
The PDP chairman further stated that the state currently has only 99 nurses in its employment and fewer than 20 doctors serving across public health facilities.
He said the shortage of qualified medical personnel has weakened service delivery, especially in rural communities where access to healthcare is already limited.
“Nurses and doctors are leaving the state service due to poor remuneration and terrible working environment. The few health workers left are overstretched and cannot adequately meet the healthcare needs of the people,” he stated.
Ikem also lamented the dearth of trained midwives in many health centres, noting that the development has pushed several pregnant women into the hands of Traditional Birth Attendants, leading to avoidable maternal deaths.
He called on the state government to urgently establish laws regulating the operations of Traditional Birth Attendants and create clear referral protocols between TBAs and trained medical personnel to reduce maternal mortality in the state.
“There is no proper law regulating the activities of Traditional Birth Attendants in the state. Government must put measures in place to ensure collaboration and referral protocols between TBAs and trained medical personnel in order to safeguard pregnant women,” he added.
The PDP chairman also raised concerns over the healthcare situation in Odukpani Local Government Area, the governor’s home area, claiming that only two nurses are currently serving at a health facility in the council.
Ikem further alleged that nursing institutions in the state were yet to secure accreditation from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
“The nursing colleges in the state are still awaiting accreditation from the Nigerian Nursing and Midwifery Council. This is affecting training capacity and worsening the manpower shortage in the health sector,” he said.
He also criticised the Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Ayuk, accusing him of focusing on less important activities instead of addressing major healthcare challenges confronting the state.
“The Commissioner for Health is busy inspecting construction of soak away facilities in General Hospitals and making headlines out of it instead of raising serious concerns about the absence of modern medical equipment and shortage of manpower in the sector,” Ikem alleged.
The PDP chairman questioned the utilisation of funds budgeted for healthcare, insisting that most of the visible interventions in the sector appear to be driven by donor agencies.
“We demand to know what is happening to the health sector budget because the little intervention being witnessed is largely driven by donor support rather than deliberate government investment,” he said.
Ikem urged the state government to prioritise the recruitment of medical personnel, rehabilitation of health facilities and provision of essential infrastructure, including electricity and medical equipment, to restore confidence in the healthcare system.
He warned that continued neglect of the sector could further worsen health outcomes for residents across the state.