At the General Hospital in Ipokia, Ogun State, patients no longer find comfort in a place meant for healing. Instead, they face leaking roofs, cracked walls, broken beds, and outdated facilities. Once a community pride, the hospital—commissioned on January 30, 1970, by then Military Governor of the Western Region, Robert Adeyinka Adebayo—has barely seen refurbishment in 55 years and now stands as a shadow of its former self.
From the gatehouse to the reception, wards, labour room, and offices, neglect is glaring. Ceilings sag dangerously, terrazzo floors are worn out, and paint peels off walls. On rainy days, patients and caregivers scramble for dry corners as rainwater pours in through multiple holes in the roof.
Bathrooms are in deplorable condition: clogged toilets, broken cisterns, rusted pipes, foul odours, and slippery floors create a breeding ground for infection. One patient reportedly had to go home to relieve himself before returning to his hospital bed.
Most wards are deserted. During a recent visit, the female ward was empty, the male ward had just one patient, and the maternity ward had four mothers with newborns. Community members say residents now avoid the hospital, preferring unregulated private clinics or self-medication.
“Instead of going there, people now rely on auxiliary nurses or take drugs on their own. That hospital has become an abandoned zone,” a community leader lamented.
Beds in the wards are so worn out that patients now bring their own. “The springs and stands are gone. Even the emergency ward beds are dangerous. Let’s just pray a patient doesn’t fall off,” resident Bolaji Sadiku said.
Empty Theatre, Community Intervention
The operating theatre is barely functional after its 1970 equipment collapsed. It still works today only because a community leader, the Balogun of Ipokia, Adesola Abolurin, personally renovated it. He donated modern tools, including an operating table, suction machine, lighting, and solar power to prevent maternal deaths during surgeries.
Preterm Babies Without Hope
The hospital’s lack of a neonatal intensive care unit has led to infant deaths. Preterm babies are referred to the Federal Medical Centre in Abeokuta—a four-hour trip many do not survive.
Alhaji Sodeeq Akeem’s premature twins were among the lucky survivors, thanks to a corps doctor who improvised care without an incubator. But others like Adelani, whose wife delivered a seven-month-old baby earlier this year, lost their child before reaching Ilaro. “The hospital once had an incubator, but it was taken away,” he said.
Ambulances Without Drivers
Two ambulances, one provided by the state and another donated by Senator Olamilekan Adeola, sit idle at the hospital for lack of drivers. “The last time my relative was referred, we had to hire a driver from Idiroko. How can ambulances be parked here useless?” a resident asked.
Equipment Taken Away
Last year, officials of the Ogun State Hospital Management Board removed several pieces of medical equipment, including a generator capable of powering the hospital and a nearby water plant. Their justification was the absence of trained personnel to operate them. Residents, however, insist the government should have trained or posted qualified staff rather than stripping the hospital.
Overworked Staff, One Doctor Left
The hospital is severely understaffed. Many doctors and nurses reject postings there because of the poor state of the facility. Currently, only one doctor serves the entire hospital, assisted by a corps member.
“When new doctors or nurses are posted here, they immediately seek redeployment. It’s too much for one doctor to handle all cases,” said Idowu Ajibade, Chairman of the Ipokia Youth Development Council. He added that Ambassador Abolurin, a community leader, provides extra stipends and a generator to retain corps members.
Ajibade also regretted that numerous letters to the government had been ignored. “This hospital is the only one serving about eight wards in Ipokia. People deserted it when it became empty. Instead of improving it, the state took away equipment. Our people deserve quality healthcare. We must save this hospital from collapse.”
Group Demands Urgent Rescue of Ipokia General Hospital as Monarch, Residents Cry Out
The deplorable state of the General Hospital in Ipokia has continued to draw outrage, with The Pacesetters of Ipokia, a pro-development group, joining calls for urgent government intervention.
In a strongly worded statement signed by its president, Kehinde Olumilade, the group lamented the decline of what was once the community’s pride.
“The General Hospital, Ipokia, once a beacon of hope and pride, has been reduced to a shadow of itself. Patients and caregivers now struggle in unsafe, humiliating conditions,” the statement read.
The group accused the authorities of abandoning the facility, pointing out that vital medical equipment had been removed—allegedly carted away to Abeokuta—without explanation or replacement.
“Whenever it rains, wards and offices are flooded. Patients scramble for dry corners instead of receiving treatment with dignity. In such an environment, quality healthcare is not just difficult—it is impossible,” the statement added.
Calling the situation unacceptable, the Pacesetters demanded immediate intervention from Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration.
“We passionately appeal to the Ogun State Government to urgently renovate the hospital, re-equip it with modern facilities, and restore its status as a true general hospital. The government must also explain why equipment was taken away without replacement. The health of our people is not a privilege—it is a right,” Olumilade stressed.
Monarch and Elders Frustrated
The Onipokia of Ipokia, Oba Yisa Olaniran, confirmed that he and other elders had repeatedly petitioned the state government but to no avail.
“We have written several letters to the Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker. Officials came to take pictures and made promises, yet nothing was done. Today, there is only one doctor and an NYSC doctor. No equipment, and the building is collapsing. We pray the government remembers us,” the monarch said.
The Balogun of Ipokia, Adesola Abolurin, who has personally supported the facility with donations, also expressed frustration. “Despite all my efforts, the hospital remains in bad shape. I am in touch with the Permanent Secretary of the Hospitals Management Board, and I plan to escalate the matter to the Chief of Staff regarding re-roofing,” he stated.
Government Silent
Despite repeated attempts, the Ogun State Government has refused to officially respond. When contacted, government spokesperson Kayode Akinmade referred inquiries to the Health Commissioner, Dr Coker, who neither answered calls nor responded to messages.
The silence, residents say, is heartbreaking.
For decades, Ipokia General Hospital served as a pillar of healthcare for the region. Today, it stands in ruins—leaking roofs, broken beds, abandoned wards, and missing equipment defining its reality. The people of Ipokia say they are not asking for luxury, only for the basic dignity of safe and functional healthcare.
Until then, the hospital remains a symbol of neglect, and its residents continue to pay the price with their lives.
ADEOLA KUNLE
