Community advocates urgent expansion, staff motivation at Potiskum hospital’s emergency department
Story from Kasim Isa Muhammed
Residents of Potiskum are pleading for the expansion of the Emergency Unit and an increase in staff at the Potiskum Specialist Hospital.
They are currently facing hardships as the limited capacity and inadequate staff in the Emergency Unit are causing delays in receiving critical medical assistance. Patients are being forced to seek alternative options, such as private hospitals or waiting outside the emergency rooms with their loved ones.
Ba’aba Alkali, a resident of Potiskum, shared his emotional experience while seeking medical help for his seriously ill daughter at the hospital.
He expressed disappointment with the lack of medical staff attending to patients. During his visit to the Emergency Unit, he witnessed the tragic death of a two-year-old baby girl due to the absence of medical staff.
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Another resident, Musa Garba, shared his distressing encounter when seeking medical assistance for his mother with high blood pressure. With no staff available at the Emergency Unit, they had to resort to a local pharmaceutical store for medical attention. He highlighted that this left those who couldn’t afford private hospitals with no choice but to wait for doctors to arrive.
Dahiru Ahmed acknowledged the efforts of some hospital staff but emphasized the urgent need for the hospital management to address the issues in the Emergency Unit. He called for the deployment of more staff and the expansion of the department to accommodate a larger number of patients.
An investigation by Neptune Prime revealed that the Emergency Unit at the Potiskum Specialist Hospital lacks sufficient beds and medical personnel to cater to the large population of Potiskum. According to a Nursing Officer, an emergency unit requires a minimum of 15-20 observation beds along with a sufficient number of medical doctors and specialized accident and emergency nurses.
Despite efforts to obtain comments from the Hospital Management, Neptune Prime reporters were unable to reach the Managing Director (MD) of the Potiskum Specialist Hospital.
It is clear that urgent action is required to alleviate the suffering of residents in Potiskum. The expansion of the Emergency Unit and an increase in staff are necessary to ensure timely and adequate medical care for the community.
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