Patients across the Federal Capital Territory are expressing concerns over skeletal services in general hospitals, citing closed pharmacies, absent laboratory staff, and minimal attendance by medical personnel across various healthcare facilities in Abuja.

At Kubwa General Hospital, Rotimi Raheem said on Thursday that all hospital pharmacies were locked and that laboratory technicians were not on duty, leaving patients unable to access essential medical services.

Similarly, at Wuse General Hospital, Ibeto Onakwe reported that medical workers at emergency units were largely absent, adding that only a few doctors were seen moving around without attending to patients’ urgent medical needs.

At Nyanya General Hospital, Idris Yahuri said administrative officers responsible for issuing patient files were missing from their posts, making it impossible for patients to access old medical records when necessary for treatment.

Adewale-Adeleye Premiere, president of the Association of Resident Doctors at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, said the shortages were primarily due to insufficient staffing across most hospitals in Abuja.

He warned that the exodus of health workers from the country was alarming, urging the government to act swiftly to prevent the healthcare system from being overwhelmed and medical services from collapsing.

“In my own centre, UATH, resident doctors used to number between 500 and 600, but currently there are only about 220 doctors, significantly reducing the hospital’s capacity to provide healthcare for patients across the Middle Belt,” he stated.

Mr Premiere added that many doctors left for countries such as the UK, Dubai, or Saudi Arabia, increasing workload pressure on those remaining and reducing the quality of healthcare delivery across federal medical institutions.

He warned that for every doctor who left, the burden on remaining staff increased exponentially, and though doctors were not currently on strike, they might consider industrial action to press for improved working conditions and support.

(NAN)