News Editor
By Olu Balogun
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has sought urgent attention for the Ukpogo Cottage Hospital in Okene, which is an annex of the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Lokoja, the Kogi State capital in the 2025 budget.
The lawmaker, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, said the call became necessary to ensure that the hospital’s operations are up to par, providing quality healthcare services to the community.
Speaking during a Senate Committee on Health meeting with the heads of various federal medical centers on Saturday, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan highlighted the troubling state of Ukpogo Cottage Hospital, noting that despite significant federal investment, it has not been operational, failing to meet its intended purpose.
“There is a facility annexed to you called the Ukpogo Cottage Hospital, Okene. It’s a 50-bed capacity, fully equipped hospital. Why has it not been operational, considering the fact that it is an extension of the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, and was established purposely to cater for accidents and armed robbery cases along the busy Okene-Auchi road?” She queried.
The lawmaker also demanded to know if the operationality of the facility was captured in the 2025 budget.
In response, Dr. Olatunde Alabi, the Chief Medical Director of FMC Lokoja, explained that the facility was handed over to them four years ago.
He acknowledged that efforts had been made to make it functional, but progress has been impeded.
Alabi mentioned that attempts to assign staff to the facility were unsuccessful due to a shortage of personnel at FMC Lokoja.
He appealed to the committee for intervention, emphasising that making the facility operational would greatly alleviate the patient load at FMC Lokoja, particularly from the Kogi Central area.
He also warned that the equipment at Ukpogo Cottage Hospital is deteriorating due to lack of use, and if the facility remains non-operational, it will worsen.
