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Sufferers and their households staged protests on Monday exterior the College Faculty Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, expressing frustration over a 17-day energy outage that has disrupted important providers, together with surgical procedures, laboratory testing, and different crucial operations.
The ability provide was disconnected by the Ibadan Electrical energy Distribution Firm (IBEDC), which claims the hospital owes excellent funds below its “Band A” tariff construction.
In accordance with the UCH administration, the hospital’s month-to-month electrical energy invoice stands at N88 million as a consequence of its placement within the highest business tariff band.
In a video posted by Oyo Affairs on X, a person was seen confronting the hospital administration, accusing them of negligence as sufferers reportedly undergo as a consequence of an absence of energy and water provide within the hospital.
He mentioned, “Persons are in ache, individuals are dying within the wards. There’s no electrical energy, and also you’re simply sitting there calling yourselves administration. If in case you have points, lay them on the desk; cease letting folks die right here.
“What did we do to deserve this? You’re so detached to the sufferers’ plight, but individuals are dying when you defend your personal family members after they come right here. You assume that’s proper?”
He continued, shouting, “CMD, thief! The administration listed below are thieves. You’re accumulating exorbitant charges from us, elevating prices on the whole lot, and but nothing improves.”
In the meantime, some sufferers within the ward have been seen protesting by banging on steel surfaces, chanting, “Activate the electrical energy for us.”
One affected person shouted, “You give us no electrical energy, no water. Do you wish to kill us? That is presupposed to be a hospital!”
One other voice was heard saying, “UCH, don’t kill us! Activate the electrical energy for us. Now we have no water or energy. Would you like us to die?” The affected person urged for quick enhancements, noting that the hospital administration’s workplaces nonetheless had energy.”
One other affected person added, “You’re damaging the repute of UCH, a premier hospital, whereas sufferers undergo with out water and electrical energy.”
In response, a hospital official mentioned that the electrical energy problem was past the hospital’s management, citing excessive payments from the electrical energy supplier.
“Do you know IBEDC billed us N88 million within the first week and N99 million within the second week?” he requested.
“Let’s be trustworthy with ourselves,” the official continued.
“Those we ought to be interesting to are the federal authorities in Abuja, who promised to cowl 50 p.c of the electrical energy prices for all hospitals, together with UCH, however haven’t adopted by means of.”
In response to the protests, UCH administration referred to as on the IBEDC and federal authorities to rethink the hospital’s tariff band classification, citing the heavy burden it imposed on the ability’s funds and its skill to offer constant healthcare providers.
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