The House of Representatives has called in Dr. Olatunde Alabi, Chief Medical Director of the Federal Teaching Hospital in Lokoja, Kogi State, including other key stakeholders, to address alarming concerns about the poor state of the hospital.
This action comes after a PUNCH Healthwise investigative series exposed the dire conditions within the hospital, arguing that outdated infrastructure and inadequate facilities have transformed the facility into what many now consider a danger zone for patients.
PUNCH Healthwise published a detailed two-part report titled ‘How obsolete facilities turn Kogi federal hospital to death house’ on March 9 and 11, 2025. The investigation highlighted that, despite its recent upgrade, the Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja struggles to provide basic and specialist care because of failing infrastructure and obsolete equipment.
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Following the release of the reports, our correspondent learned that the House has not only summoned Dr. Alabi but also requested the presence of representatives from hospital health unions, including the Nigerian Medical Association and the Joint Health Sector Union, for an inquiry.
The invitation was detailed in a letter dated March 11, 2024, obtained on Wednesday by our correspondent. The House Committee on Health Institutions scheduled an emergency meeting for March 13, 2024, at 2pm, to be held at the committee chairman’s office.
Signed by Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs Abbas Hakilu, the letter clarified that the meeting was prompted by a formal petition against the institution.
“The House of Representatives, House Committee on Health Institutions, received a petition regarding your institution, hence this invitation for a meeting,” the letter stated.
It concluded, “Please accept, sir, the Committee’s warmest assurances and sincere regards.”.
The PUNCH Healthwise investigation sheds light on how this hospital, once a beacon of hope for millions, has dramatically declined and now struggles to deliver adequate medical care.
Over a period of more than five days, the reporter went undercover as both a patient and a patient’s relative, gathering harrowing accounts and firsthand observations that illustrate a facility meant for healing has instead become synonymous with tragedy.
The hospital’s buildings are crumbling, vital medical devices are out-of-date, and staff members are stretched thin and demoralized, often working without the necessary tools.
The investigation also found that essential medicines and critical supplies are consistently in short supply, making it nearly impossible for healthcare workers to treat patients—especially those in life-threatening condition.
One particularly troubling discovery was that the blood bank is frequently empty, forcing desperate families to search elsewhere for blood during emergencies.
The pharmacy shelves are largely bare, compounding the hospital’s crisis by depriving patients of fundamental medications.
The hospital administration faces serious accusations of corruption, mismanagement, favoritism, and even intimidation—allegations that further undermine trust.
PUNCH Healthwise concluded that unless action is taken, the deteriorating situation at Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja is likely to lead to more preventable tragedies.
The investigation included heart-wrenching stories: like that of Benjamin Ayodele, who died when he couldn’t undergo dialysis due to missing supplies, and another patient suffering from a chronic ulcer who also lost his life—a direct result of the facility’s failures.
Rather than being a sanctuary for healing, the hospital now stands as a stark example of suffering, where lives are lost not only to disease but to the absence of the most basic resources and proper medical attention.
