Patients lament as shortage of nurses, doctors hits Kaduna hospitals

In June 2024, Alhaji Usman Mamman, a man in his late 70s, was taken to Dantsoho General Hospital in Tudun Wada, Kaduna, by his children for medical attention.

Unable to walk, he was brought in on a wheelchair and wheeled to the consulting room to see the doctor on duty. On getting there, they encountered over 100 other patients – men, women, and the elderly – patiently awaiting medical care.

Despite Alhaji Usman’s critical condition, his children had no choice but to join the queue. It was only with the help of a hospital employee, who is related to them, that they were able to expedite the process.

After examination, Alhaji Usman was promptly admitted. The hospital, however, is facing a critical shortage of beds due to severe overcrowding exacerbated by a surge of patients from neighbouring communities.

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• Patients lament as shortage of nurses, doctors hits Kaduna hospitals

Daily Trust observed that both male and female wards were fully occupied, with health workers, particularly nurses, tirelessly attending to patients on admission.

Shehu Abubakar, a relative of Alhaji Usman, shared his frustration. “We spent nearly an hour pushing my dad’s wheelchair around trying to find a bed for him after he was admitted by the doctor.

“We were even willing to pay for a private room, but none was available. Meanwhile, the state government is investing in projects that do not address our immediate healthcare needs.”

Another disconcerting issue highlighted by Fatima, Alhaji Usman’s daughter, was the cleanliness of the facilities. “We had to purchase detergent to clean the mattress before placing our sick father on it. With the nurses overwhelmed and busy attending to other patients, we had to manage on our own.”

Other residents bringing in their sick loved ones expressed similar grievances. One resident recounted that, “There was no bed space available to admit my sister despite her condition. The staff advised us to seek admission elsewhere due to the overcrowded wards.”

The dire situation at Dantsoho General Hospital reflects broader challenges across public healthcare facilities in Kaduna. Shortages of doctors and nurses, coupled with inadequate infrastructure, have left hospitals struggling to meet the demands of the growing patient population.

Some hospital staff, speaking anonymously, expressed concern over having to turn away patients due to the lack of beds.

Suleiman, who brought his sick brother to the hospital, said: “I had to pay N10,000 at the emergency unit before my brother could receive treatment. What if I couldn’t afford it?”

General Hospital Zangon Kataf, General Hospital Panbeguwa, General Hospital Kubau and Birnin Gwari General Hospital Maigana, in Soba LGA, also face significant challenges among other secondary hospitals in the state.

Most of these hospitals faced staff shortages and dilapidated facilities that forced many nurses to seek transfer to better-equipped hospitals, especially federal facilities.

A staff at General Hospital Maigana disclosed that currently, there are only two doctors available, adding that the ongoing renovation in the hospital has further limited the capacity to admit patients.

“We have two wards for males, two for females, and two for children. But all these are under renovation, so we don’t admit patients because there is no place to keep them.

“Those admitted only stay from morning till evening and then go home, and return the following day. This is why we don’t offer surgery now; we refer our patients who need surgery to Gambo Sawaba General Hospital Zaria,” he said.

He added that the hospital staff quarters were in bad condition but not part of the renovation. He pleaded with the state government to renovate the staff quarters too.

He also said the hospital needs more nurses and doctors to take care of patients, noting that presently there are only 15 nurses working in the hospital, compared to 40 nurses in the past.

The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Kaduna State chapter, echoed these concerns, citing ongoing delays in hospital renovations and the exodus of healthcare professionals to federal institutions.

Ishaku Yakubu, Chairman of NANNM, emphasised the need for comprehensive reforms, not just infrastructure upgrades, adding that the welfare of health workers and the provision of adequate equipment are equally crucial.

“This has been going on for more than two months, and the hospital has not been operating at full capacity. There is a shortage of manpower; many nurses have left the country, some have left the state, while others have joined federal hospitals. So, there is a shortage of nurses.

“Then, the issue of security is also a problem because some of these hospitals lack perimeters or fences. This has exposed the people and staff.

“Staff are also leaving because the salary is poor, which was part of the reason we went on strike a few days ago. There is also lack of equipment in most of the facilities.

“Here, we are talking about the equipment that nurses will use to take care of the patients. There are no thermometers to take temperatures, no BP apparatus to check patients’ BP, and a lot of other equipment needed for diagnosis.”

He said all the facilities, at about 30 secondary facilities in the state, are in dire need of the equipment.

“We are also worried about the condition of the hospitals. The governor has started the renovation of the hospitals, but it shouldn’t just be the infrastructure; he should include the welfare of the health workers and the provision of adequate equipment for them to use in taking care of their patients.

“Security should also be enhanced; every hospital without a perimeter fence should be provided, and there should also be security personnel manning the hospitals. Let him continue with the renovation, but the speed should be increased because he picked six hospitals for renovation within six weeks, but now, about two months later, they are still not completed.”

“We don’t know when he will complete the six and pick another six. I went to General Hospital Zango and most of the structures are dilapidated, and that is the condition of many of them. All the facilities need overhaul,” he said.

In response to the issues, Umma K. Ahmed, the State Commissioner for Health, in an interview with Daily Trust over the shortage of bed space at Dantsoho General Hospital, acknowledged the strain on the health facility.

According to her, Yusuf Dantsoho Hospital was overcrowded due to its location in a cosmopolitan area.

She also explained that another factor responsible for the shortage was the increase in diseases due to the heat and rainy season.

The commissioner added that presently, the six general hospitals undergoing renovation in the state are only offering skeletal services, which also contributed to the pressure on Dantsoho Hospital.

“Again, Yusuf Dantsoho General Hospital, being one of the oldest, has high demands for services. When you enter the hospital, there is ongoing building construction by one of our partners. What remains is equipment installation before it will be handed over to us.

“All these efforts are aimed at improving the hospital’s condition. We hope that Yusuf Dantsoho Hospital will be included in the second phase of hospital renovations.

“We are doing our best to address the situation. I have ordered the transfer of two additional doctors and nurses to Yusuf Dantsoho Hospital to increase their manpower,” she said.

“We hope that in the next few weeks, these hospitals under renovation will be completed and the second phase selected,” Umma said.

She assured that efforts were on to address the situation, including the deployment of additional medical personnel.