By Adeola Badru

Vandals have attacked the 80-bed Mother and Child Specialist Hospital in Pakiotan, Ogbomoso, a facility established by the Federal Government.

The act has sparked outrage among community leaders and residents, raising serious concerns about the security of healthcare services in the area.

The hospital, equipped with essential medical supplies including beds, medications, and laboratory equipment, was intended to function as an urban health centre.

It was developed under the guidance of former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, and was officially commissioned on 27 May 2023 before being handed over to the Federal Ministry of Health via the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan.

While addressing journalists at the hospital site, the Onipakiotan of Pakiotan, Oba James Oyetunji Ojo, condemned the vandalism, describing it as “economic subversion” that harmed the community development.

“The destruction of this vital infrastructure is a significant concern for our community and necessitates urgent and coordinated action.”

“We must ensure that those responsible for vandalising public property are held accountable. As the saying goes, offenders must be brought to book, or the book brought to them,” the monarch asserted.

Oba Ojo noted that prior to the commissioning, some cables had already been vandalised and were replaced by Mr Sunday Dare.

“Since the handover, however, there has been no progress. We have no access to the facility and no security in place. Recently, we observed signs of intrusion.”

“When one of Hon. Dare’s aides joined us for an inspection, we were horrified to find that all the cables, 150 solar batteries, electrical appliances, ceiling fans, and other valuable items had been stripped away,” he lamented.

The monarch pointed out that the community donated the land for the hospital, comprising eight plots, to improve maternal and child healthcare access for those in Ogbomoso and nearby areas. Yet, the facility has remained dormant for over a year since its commissioning.

He urged UCH and the Ministry of Health to either start operations immediately or transfer management of the hospital to the community, saying, “Had the hospital been operational, such incidents would not have occurred.”

Also speaking, the Chairman of Ogbomoso North Local Government, Ogunlade Gbadegesin, shared his disappointment, recalling that the management of UCH had visited in September 2024 and promised to initiate operations in October, a promise that remained unfulfilled.

“Numerous valuable medical items have been stolen, and others are in jeopardy. We will hire security personnel to protect what is left until the hospital is finally operational,” he affirmed.

Similarly, an aide to the former minister, Ademola Olawale, added that he has repeatedly urged UCH to commence operations, but they continued to offer excuses and unfulfilled commitments.

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