How obsolete facilities turn Kogi federal hospital to death house
Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, Kogi State despite its upgrade to Federal teaching hospital, fails to meet the healthcare needs of patients flocking to the tertiary facility, especially those requiring specialist care due to crumbling infrastructure. In this two-part series, PUNCH Healthwise investigation reveals how doctors struggle with obsolete equipment daily to treat patients leading to many reported cases of medical errors and avoidable deaths. SODIQ OJUROUNGBE reports
Benjamin Ayodele walked into the Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja on January 19, 2025, with hope in his eyes, determined to fight the chronic kidney disease that had been slowly weakening his body.
His admission number, 178711, was a mere identification in the long list of patients who pass through the hospital’s overburdened gates. He had been living with the disease for months, but it had now reached a critical point where he needed urgent haemodialysis to survive.
Benjamin was told the procedure would be scheduled as soon as possible. But it never came. Nine days later, Benjamin was dead—his life snuffed out by a cruel reality; the hospital simply could not provide the basic consumables required for his treatment.
Haemodialysis, a lifesaving procedure for patients with kidney failure, is routine in many hospitals across the world. Yet, for Benjamin, it was a distant dream. The necessary supplies—tubings, bicarbonate, and other critical materials—were unavailable at FTH Lokoja. Despite repeated requests, despite the desperate pleas from Ayodele’s family, the hospital could not provide the bare minimum required to carry out his treatment.
Moses Ayodele, a close relative, could only watch in helplessness as Benjamin’s condition deteriorated.
“We were told that the hospital didn’t have the necessary consumables for the dialysis. We tried to purchase them ourselves, but it was too late. My brother died waiting for a treatment that never came,” Moses recounted, his voice breaking as he spoke with PUNCH Healthwise.
“I saw my brother’s body, cold and lifeless. It was like he was just discarded. No dignity, no respect. Just another statistic in a hospital that seemed to care little for human life,” he lamented.
As Ayodele spoke, it became clear that the deplorable state of FTH Lokoja and the lack of medical equipment made access to health care difficult. Once seen as a place of care for the people of Kogi State, the hospital had turned into a place of neglect and poor service, where patients like Benjamin Ayodele suffered due to the system’s failures.
Avoidable tragedies
Benjamin Ayodele’s tragic death is not an isolated incident but part of a disturbing pattern of avoidable fatalities at FTH Lokoja.
Just months before, in May 2024, another patient, a man with a long history of managing a bleeding ulcer, found himself in a similar nightmare.
PUNCH Healthwise gathered that the man had been living with his condition for years, but when he suddenly began bleeding heavily from his mouth, he was rushed to the hospital’s emergency department, hoping for swift intervention.
The small ward used as the A&E unit where lots of emergency patients are rushed to daily. Photo: Sodiq Ojuroungbe.
However, when the man arrived at FTH Lokoja’s Accident & Emergency Unit, it quickly became evident that the hospital was ill-equipped to handle his critical condition.
Despite the urgency of the situation, PUNCH Healthwise gathered that the necessary medical supplies were simply unavailable. There was no IV omeprazole to stop the bleeding, no paracetamol to manage the pain, and tragically, no blood in the blood bank to stabilise him.
Further findings showed that the doctors and nurses were left powerless, as they could do nothing to save a life that was slipping away due to the hospital’s chronic shortage of essential supplies.
The man’s death, much like Benjamin’s, could have been prevented with the right resources and timely intervention. But FTH Lokoja, crippled by years of neglect and mismanagement, was unable to provide even the most basic care.
Speaking with our correspondent, one of the doctors who attended to the bleeding ulcer patient revealed the heartbreaking reality of the situation.
Rasheed, who asked to be identified only by his first name, explained the helplessness felt by the medical team as they struggled to provide the necessary care.
“When the patient was brought in, he was already in a critical condition, bleeding heavily from his mouth. We immediately assessed his situation and tried to do everything within our power to stabilise him. But despite our best efforts, it became clear that we couldn’t provide the necessary care to save his life. The problem was simple; there were no consumables available that were essential for his treatment,” he stated.
He added, “In an emergency like this, the consumables are crucial. Without them, there is very little we can do, no matter how skilled the doctors or nurses are. We wanted to help; we were ready to help, but we just didn’t have the tools to do so.”
Negligence claims another life
In January 2024, a prominent lawmaker in Kogi State and the Majority Leader of the State House of Assembly, Suleiman Abdulrazaq rushed his father-in-law to the emergency department, desperate to save his life.
Tragically, the hospital was ill-equipped to provide the necessary resuscitative measures, and the elderly man succumbed to his condition within two to three hours of arrival.
The news of his death led to chaos, with some of the aggrieved family members becoming violent, firing guns sporadically. The hospital’s doctors and staff were forced to flee for their lives, abandoning their posts in fear for their safety.
One of the doctors at the A&E, who was present during the incident, claimed that the delay of about three hours before the lawmaker’s father-in-law succumbed to death was due to the hospital’s lack of a functioning resuscitation machine.
According to the doctor, this absence of critical equipment severely hindered their ability to provide the necessary care on time.
“The situation was beyond our control. We didn’t have a functioning resuscitation machine, which was crucial in stabilising the patient. Without the necessary equipment, there was little we could do to save him. Unfortunately, by the time we could have intervened properly, it was too late,” she said.
Collapsed structure
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate
Formerly known as Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, the hospital made headlines on March 7, 2023, when former president Muhammadu Buhari approved the upgrade of the institution to the status of a teaching hospital. This transformation was expected to help bridge the growing gap between doctors and patients in Kogi State while also offering medical students the opportunity to earn Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees through the Federal University Lokoja’s College of Health Sciences.
However, the reality has been far from the vision set for FTH Lokoja. An investigation by PUNCH Healthwise revealed that, instead of providing quality healthcare for the people of Kogi State, the hospital has become a place where patients’ lives are unnecessarily lost due to systemic negligence and incompetence.
Our correspondent spent more than five days visiting the hospital, pretending to be a patient and, in some cases, posing as a patient’s relative. The first-hand accounts gathered during this investigation painted a troubling picture of an institution that was meant to save lives but has instead become a death trap.
It was observed that the hospital’s infrastructure is in a state of decay, its equipment outdated, and its staff both overworked and demoralised.
PUNCH Healthwise further observed that basic medical supplies and lifesaving equipment are often in short supply, leaving the medical staff with little to work with as they try to manage many critically ill patients.
Some of the outdated equipment at the Accident and Emergency unit. Photo_ Sodiq Ojuroungbe
Our correspondent gathered that the lack of functional equipment, such as ventilators and dialysis machines, has resulted in countless preventable deaths.
Findings revealed that the hospital’s blood bank is often empty, forcing families to scramble to find compatible blood for their loved ones.
During the investigation, it was found that the pharmacy had very few supplies, leaving patients without basic medications.
The hospital’s management has been accused of corruption and mismanagement, with claims of victimisation and favouritism.
PUNCH Healthwise observed that the collapsed structure of the FTH Lokoja is a ticking time bomb, waiting to claim its next victim.
From the death of Benjamin Ayodele, who couldn’t receive dialysis due to missing consumables, to the loss of the man who has a chronic ulcer, these incidents highlight the severe impact of mismanagement. Instead of being a place of recovery, the hospital has become a place of suffering, where people lose their lives not just to illness but also because of a lack of basic resources and proper care.
ICU in shamble
Intensive Care Unit with non functional ventilators. Photo: Sodiq Ojurngbe
The Intensive Care Unit at FTH Lokoja is a place where hope goes to die. The unit, which is supposed to provide life-saving treatment for patients with emergency and advanced care, has become a place with outdated equipment.
On February 16, 2025, our correspondent, posing as someone seeking urgent care for his father, attempted to gain access to the Intensive Care Unit at FTH Lokoja. Claiming that his father needed immediate ICU attention, he was allowed into the unit through unofficial channels.
Upon further investigation, it was discovered that out of the six machines in the ICU, only one was functioning. To make matters worse, the single-working machine often stopped working unexpectedly.
Non-functional dialysis machines
It was gathered that only one dialysis machine is working in the hospital, while others have packed up due to intensive use.
A nurse at the dialysis centre, who spoke with our correspondent after a doctor accompanied him, said, “You know this one working can stop at any time, but he can go through the A&E before he can be brought here.
“We only have one machine that can probably be managed if it’s a strong emergency.”
Benjamin Ayodele’s story is a clear example of this. He died while waiting for dialysis because the hospital didn’t have the needed supplies. His death could have been prevented if the hospital had working dialysis machines and the right equipment.
Dilapidated drug store without essential medicines
An empty drug store without essential medicines. Photo: Sodiq Ojuroungbe
When our correspondent visited the pharmacy on February 17, 2025, it was clear that the shelves were mostly empty, with only a few medications available. Common drugs like adrenaline, atropine, calcium gluconate, amiodarone, and saline were missing.
The physical state of the pharmacy was also concerning. The shelves were rusted, and the ceiling was in bad shape. The corridor leading to the pharmacy had no ceiling, making the area unsafe.
Following instructions from a doctor, our correspondent asked about seven medications. Only two of them were available. This shortage meant that patients often went without the medicines they needed.
PUNCH Healthwise gathered that because of the lack of essential drugs at FTH Lokoja, doctors have developed a practice where they list the medications required for a patient’s treatment and ask the patient’s relatives to check if those drugs are available in the pharmacy before a prescription is given.
A doctor at the family medicine department who spoke on the condition of anonymity expressed concern over the lack of essential drugs and consumables in the hospital, saying it is affecting their ability to provide maximum care to patients.
The doctor lamented that FTH Lokoja is struggling to provide basic medical supplies, leading to avoidable deaths and suffering.
He cited the example of a patient with severely elevated blood pressure, saying that oral antihypertensive medication was insufficient and that intravenous antihypertensive medication was needed but often not available.
“Imagine getting to the pharmacy and they don’t have it on several occasions. You have to send patients outside the hospital, sometimes in the middle of the night, to buy the medication. What about their security? Even if they go outside, they may not get it, or the pharmacies may be closed,” he lamented.
No CT scan machine
Despite attaining teaching hospital status, our correspondent gathered that the absence of a Computed Tomography scan machine at FTH Lokoja has created a dangerous gap in the ability to diagnose and treat critical conditions, leaving patients vulnerable.
Without access to such essential diagnostic tools, many patients face delays in receiving proper treatment, which can often lead to worsened conditions and, in some cases, death.
Our correspondent learnt of the case of one Anthony Wende, who suffered a stroke and had poorly controlled hypertension.
When Wende was brought to the hospital, he was urgently in need of a CT scan to assess the damage to his brain. However, the hospital’s CT scan machine was out of service, leaving him without the immediate care he required.
Wende was then referred to Abuja for the necessary CT scan. When the scan was eventually completed, it revealed a cerebral vessel aneurysm, a potentially life-threatening condition.
The delay in diagnosing this condition due to the lack of functional equipment at FTH Lokoja could have had severe consequences.
But the issues did not end there. On February 14, 2025, when further tests such as FBC (Full Blood Count), lipid profile, and EUCr (Electrolytes, Urea, and Creatinine) were needed to fully assess Anthony’s condition, it was revealed that the laboratory at FTH BLokoja was unable to process these tests.
The lack of proper functioning lab equipment and supplies has compounded the hospital’s inability to provide comprehensive care to patients.
This is not an isolated case. The absence of a CT scan machine and the failure of the hospital’s laboratory to process critical tests stressed the hospital’s ongoing struggle to meet the basic healthcare needs of the community.
Patients like Anthony Wende, who should have been receiving immediate and life-saving care, instead find themselves navigating a broken system that fails them at every turn.
The doctor at the family medicine department also decried the lack of basic laboratory investigations, such as kidney function tests, and radiology services, including CT scans and MRIs.
He added, “A federal tertiary institution that cannot do these basic investigations is a shame. What is the fate of patients who need these services? They have to travel long distances, sometimes with rough terrain, to get these services. What if they are attacked by bandits on the road?”
Laboratory facilities deteriorated
The laboratory at FTH Lokoja, meant to be the cornerstone of diagnosis and patient care, has fallen into severe disrepair.
It was gathered that one of the most basic and routine tests in any hospital—blood count tests—has become a luxury patients can’t afford.
A blood count is fundamental for diagnosing and monitoring a range of conditions. It’s a routine test performed daily in hospitals worldwide. However, at FTH
Lokoja, patients are often turned away due to the laboratory’s inability to carry out such a simple test.
Our correspondent gathered that this lack of basic functionality forces patients to travel long distances to private labs or other hospitals, compounding their financial burden and putting their health at risk.
The inadequacies don’t end with blood counts. The laboratory is severely lacking in the necessary equipment and consumables to perform even the most basic medical tests.
Without these basic tools, it was learnt that the hospital’s ability to diagnose and monitor conditions has been severely compromised.
One of the doctors told PUNCH Healthwise, “This is the reality we face every day. On the morning of February 14, 2025, I personally took the samples for a full blood count, lipid profile, and EUCR (Electrolytes, Urea, and Creatinine) to the hospital laboratory. We were met with disappointment. The lab couldn’t process any of these basic tests. Imagine that—basic tests that could have saved a life were out of reach because the laboratory is completely dysfunctional.
“Another patient, Salihu Adamu, is currently admitted to a male medical ward. He has been waiting for a full blood count, blood culture, EUCR, and a fasting lipid profile since last week. Despite paying for these tests, nothing has been processed. This is the reality we live with—patients are paying for services, but the hospital simply can’t deliver.”
No respect for the dead
On February 17, 2024, a tragic accident claimed the lives of five students from the Federal University Lokoja and their driver, who were hit by an articulated vehicle while travelling in the university’s shuttle bus. The bodies were brought to FTH Lokoja, where they were confirmed dead and deposited in the hospital’s mortuary.
Our correspondent, who visited the mortuary, was shocked to discover the deplorable conditions in which the bodies were being handled.
Upon arrival, the bodies of the victims were sighted lying on rusted steel beds at the far left corner of the mortuary entrance, far from any proper storage or embalming method.
Rather than using appropriate equipment for embalming, plastic bags and a small keg were used in what could only be described as makeshift attempts to preserve the bodies.
PUNCH Healthwise observed that one of the victims was placed directly on the cold, hard floor, with no covering other than a few thin clothes. The lack of proper tools and facilities for the treatment of the deceased was glaring.
It was gathered that the mortuary, which is supposed to be a major facility in Lokoja, lacks the necessary equipment to properly store or embalm bodies.
Our correspondent learnt that the absence of refrigeration units and proper embalming chemicals puts not only the bodies but also public health at risk. This is especially concerning for a hospital that should be equipped to handle such situations.
One doctor who wished to remain anonymous expressed his frustration, saying, “It is heartbreaking. These families have just lost their loved ones, and they can’t even be treated with the respect they deserve in their final moments. The mortuary has always been in a bad state, and there’s been no effort to improve it.”
Patients groan
FTH Lokoja was meant to provide quality healthcare to the people of Kogi State, but the reality is very different. Patients often find themselves paying high fees for services that aren’t even available.
Our correspondent gathered that the hospital charges patients for everything, from basic medical supplies to diagnostic tests. The fees can be unfair and excessive, leaving families struggling financially.
It was learnt that the hospital’s management allegedly forces patients to pay for services that aren’t even available. For instance, patients needing dialysis are still charged, even though the dialysis machine is broken.
One patient identified as Kareemat Salau said, “I came here with a simple illness, but I had to pay over N50,000 for treatment. They didn’t even have the equipment to treat me.”
Commenting, a registrar in family medicine stated, “The hospital’s management seems more focused on making money than on providing proper care. It’s embarrassing.
“The Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, needs a complete overhaul. The people of Kogi State deserve better healthcare, and it’s time for the hospital’s management to be held accountable.”
What we are facing – Management
CMD – FTH Lokoja
FTH Lokoja CMD, Dr Olatunde Alabi
Reacting, the management of FTH Lokoja explained that the hospital’s services had stretched to their limits as its antiquated infrastructure, inherited from colonial times, was never designed to handle the current volume of patients being treated daily.
During a detailed conversation with PUNCH Healthwise that lasted for over two hours, the Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee of the hospital, Dr. Ebune Ojochide, revealed that emergency resources, including pharmaceuticals, had been drained to their limits.
He lamented that the critical shortage, compounded by the lack of proper financial support, had left the hospital in an acute crisis, jeopardising its ability to care for other patients in need.
Ojochide, responding on behalf of the Chief Medical Director, Dr. Olatunde Alabi, explained that the hospital’s A&E department, originally designed to accommodate only 10 to 12 beds, often handles a surge of 30 to 40 patients at a time.
Citing a recent mass casualty incident, the medical advisory head stated that the department had to accommodate as many as 45 patients, and due to limited bed spaces, patients were unfortunately admitted in hallways—a difficult decision made in the harsh reality of trying to save as many lives as possible with limited resources.
“The reality is that we are a transit hub. We are in a strategic location as a key point connecting Nigeria’s north, south, east, and west. Every day, people from across the country, including those involved in road accidents, trauma cases, and emergencies, come here for immediate care. Our facility, however, is simply not built to manage the sheer volume of patients we are receiving.
“This facility is not purpose-built for the services we are now providing. It was inherited and adapted over time. It was originally established as a general hospital during the colonial era and was inherited by the Nigerian government as part of the Federal Medical Centre project for Kogi State. The building, some of which are still in use today, was never designed with the modern healthcare needs of a large and growing population in mind,” he lamented.
On non-functional machines in the ICU and the lack of dialysis machines, Ojochide explained that the hospital, which serves as the only major healthcare facility in Kogi State, faces overwhelming demand but operates out of inherited outdated infrastructure.
He explained that two of the machines in the dialysis centre were no longer functional due to overuse.
He added that the unit was under immense pressure, with up to 70 dialysis treatments per month.
“The pressure on the dialysis machines is unsustainable. Even the machines break down under the strain. A single machine costs millions of Naira, and if we don’t get proper funding, we simply cannot replace them,” he noted.
The medical advisory head also revealed that part of the hospital’s capital budget for the year includes provisions to replace the aging dialysis units, but whether that will happen depends on whether the government releases the necessary funds.
He added, “We have some provisions for dialysis machine replacements this year, but it’s all dependent on government funding. If they release the full amount, we can replace the machines. If not, we can only buy one or two.”
Speaking on the lack of essential drugs at the hospital’s pharmacy, Ojochide explained that the recent accident, which resulted in an influx of emergency patients who arrived without any money, caused the hospital to exhaust all its available consumables and medications in treating them.
He added, “We had no choice but to move as many patients as possible to available spaces across the hospital, including the wards. The emergency department was destabilised for three days, and the demand for resources was extraordinary.
“There was not a single naira brought with them. The hospital’s pharmacy, which provides essential drugs and medical supplies, was quickly depleted, and over N10 million worth of consumables, including sutures, drips, cannulas, and gauze, were used to treat the mass casualties. This expenditure has yet to be paid, and the hospital remains in the dark about when, or if, it will be reimbursed.
“We had no choice but to open our pharmacy, store, and theatre. We had to use everything in our capacity to stabilise the patients.”
Ojochide confirmed that subsequent emergencies worsened the resource shortage, forcing the hospital to deplete its stock of life-saving materials.
“We had to open the theatre and pharmacy again when another group of patients came in. It’s a mass casualty, and you can’t stop to ask for payment at that moment. You have to act to save lives,” he said.
