From David Onuoja, Abuja
Senator, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has called for an urgent attention on the Ukpogo Cottage Hospital, Okene, Kogi state in the 2025 budget.
This move was aimed at ensuring that, the hospital is operational up to par, providing quality healthcare services to the community.
Speaking during a Senate Committee on Health meeting with the heads of various Federal Medical Centers on Saturday, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan highlighted the troubling state of Ukpogo Cottage Hospital, which she said is an annex of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Lokoja.
She noted that despite significant federal investment, the hospital has not been operational, failing to meet its intended purpose.
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“There is a facility annexed to you called the Ukpogo Cottage Hospital, Okene. It’s a 50-bed capacity, fully equipped hospital. Why has it not been operational, considering the fact that it is an extension of the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, and was established purposely to cater for accidents and armed robbery cases along the busy Okene-Auchi road?” She queried.
The lawmaker also demanded to know if the operationality of the facility was captured in the 2025 budget.
In response, Dr Olatunde Alabi, the Chief Medical Director of FMC, Lokoja, explained that the facility was handed over to them four years ago.
He acknowledged that efforts had been made to make it functional, but progress has been impeded.
Dr Alabi mentioned that attempts to assign staff to the facility were unsuccessful due to a shortage of personnel at FMC Lokoja.
He appealed to the committee for intervention, emphasising that making the facility operational would greatly alleviate the patient load at FMC Lokoja, particularly from the Kogi Central area.
He also expressed that the equipment at Ukpogo Cottage Hospital is deteriorating due to lack of use, and if remains non-operational, it will worsen.
