The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State has called on the administration of Governor Bassey Otu to urgently revamp the state’s healthcare system, citing widespread decay and poor service delivery across public health facilities.
The party’s state chairman, Mr Venatius Ikem, made the appeal during an interactive session with journalists in Calabar on Wednesday, where he described the condition of the health sector as worrisome.
Ikem said the call was necessitated by what he described as “collapse, decay and neglect” affecting healthcare delivery in the state, adding that many public hospitals were no longer functioning optimally.
According to him, only a few general hospitals, including those in Calabar and Akamkpa, remain partially functional but continue to operate under severe infrastructural challenges.
“The only functional general hospitals in Calabar and Akamkpa operate without stable electricity supply.
“This situation has forced medical personnel to rely on petrol provided by patients’ families or inbuilt torchlight in cell phones during surgeries,” he said.
He added that the situation had placed patients at serious risk, while also stressing that the sector was struggling with inadequate staffing levels.
“The healthcare sector is understaffed,” he said, noting that shortages of qualified medical personnel had further weakened service delivery, particularly in rural communities.
Ikem urged the state government to prioritise the recruitment of healthcare workers and embark on the rehabilitation of existing medical facilities across the state.
In response, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Ayuk, said the Otu administration had made significant investments in the health sector to improve service delivery and infrastructure.
Ayuk explained that the current government inherited decayed facilities and manpower shortages but had since taken steps to address the challenges.
He noted that several health workers, including doctors and nurses, had been recruited since the administration came into office.
“There has also been tremendous improvement in the welfare of health workers, especially their salaries,” he said.
The commissioner added that government had also embarked on what he described as a total overhaul of healthcare facilities across Cross River State.
