DELSUTH doctors threaten strike over decaying facilities, shortage of personnel

The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, MDCAN, Delta State University Teaching Hospital chapter, has raised concerns over what it described as the rapid decline of the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, warning that the once celebrated tertiary health institution is now struggling to deliver even basic healthcare services.

In a statement jointly signed by the Chairman, Dr. Efe Abolodje, and Secretary, Dr. Ify Anita Nwajei, the association accused authorities of neglecting the hospital’s infrastructure, equipment, manpower and governance structure.

MDCAN warned that without urgent intervention, the institution could slide into a full-scale healthcare crisis.

According to the association, the hospital, which was commissioned in 2010 by former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as a world-class quaternary health centre, has now deteriorated into a facility struggling to sustain primary and secondary healthcare services.

According to the doctors, essential medical equipment across departments have either broken down or become obsolete, while worsening infrastructure decay and poor funding have crippled clinical operations and specialist care.

“MDCAN is deeply concerned that DELSUTH has declined from a world-class quaternary hospital to a centre struggling to deliver effective tertiary healthcare.

The association disclosed that electricity bills running into over N50 million monthly have forced management to ration power supply, including in administrative units, while recurring sewage overflow and poor sanitation now pose serious public health risks within the hospital environment.

It further revealed that basic clinical tools such as sphygmomanometers, stethoscopes, thermometers, weighing scales and diagnostic equipment are either inadequate or non-functional.

The doctors alleged that X-ray services have virtually collapsed because of the absence of a functioning UPS system, forcing patients to seek diagnostic services outside the hospital.“The theatre complex is presently functioning below acceptable standards with poor lighting, inadequate instruments, malfunctioning equipment and shortage of surgical materials,” MDCAN stated.

The association warned that the worsening conditions are undermining medical training and specialist healthcare delivery in Delta State.“DELSUTH remains the premier training institution for resident doctors and medical students in Delta State, but infrastructure deficits and equipment failures are seriously threatening effective training and patient care,” it added.

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