Delta State House of Assembly lawmakers have sharply criticized the State Hospital Management Board (HMB) for leaving an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) facility donated by Pastor Chuks Agidigbo at Central Hospital, Kwale, unused more than a year after its handover.
The ICU, intended to save lives and bolster critical care capacity in Ndokwa, Isoko, Patani, Ogwashi-Uku, and surrounding communities, remains idle despite Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s receipt of the donation and its perceived value to public healthcare.
During an oversight inspection, the House Committee on Health, led by Hon. Ferguson Onwo, expressed strong displeasure over the non-utilization of the vital medical resource. Committee members–including Hon. Mathew Omonade, Hon.
Festus Utuama, Hon. Barr. Odior Bernard, and Hon. Perkins Umukoro–insisted the facility must be made functional promptly. Onwo highlighted the importance of private support in supplementing government efforts, noting that the donor’s generosity should spur similar contributions but questioning the reluctance to operationalize the ICU.
“All of us who are members of this committee were surprised when we heard that such an important facility has not been put into use one year after it was received,” Onwo stated, emphasizing that swift activation would not only serve the community but also encourage further philanthropic engagement.
The inspection revealed the core reason for the delay: a shortage of qualified personnel to staff the ICU.
According to Dr. Afinota Lawrence, Chief Medical Director of the HMB, this manpower gap has prevented the facility from opening to patients.
Lawmakers urged the Board to recruit necessary staff, including ad-hoc or permanent employees, and explore partnerships to remedy the staffing issue.
They also called for ongoing collaboration with donors, suggesting that if Pastor Agidigbo can provide ICU specialists, modalities could be arranged to ensure sustainability. The intervention is seen as essential to realizing the goal of improved critical care delivery in the region.
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