Public hospitals in Enugu State face severe operational challenges despite billions spent on infrastructure upgrades during the previous administration of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. The state built Type 3 hospitals across several local government areas, including Ibagwa-Aka in Igbo-Eze South, but many remain underutilized due to lack of drugs, staff, and basic utilities. At the Ibagwa-Aka facility, no medical staff were visible by 9am during a reporter's visit. A security officer acknowledged the hospital was well equipped, but a doctor speaking anonymously said the government rarely supplies essential drugs, forcing patients to buy medications at high prices from private pharmacies.
General Hospital Nsukka faces similar issues, with a nurse confirming the presence of medical personnel but a persistent shortage of drugs. The nurse said the government repeatedly promises infrastructure upgrades that never materialize. At General Hospital Lejja in Nsukka LGA, the roof of a major building has remained damaged for over five years after a rainstorm, with no repairs from state or local authorities. Orji River General Hospital in Oji River LGA is completely overgrown, with no staff present during a 10am visit on Tuesday.
Uwani General Hospital in Enugu metropolis had long queues of patients, but a staff member confirmed shortages of drugs and electricity. The decay affects both primary and tertiary public facilities, limiting access to reliable care and pushing residents toward costly private hospitals. In response, the Enugu State government says it is expanding enrollment in its Universal Health Coverage scheme, which costs N12,000 per year. A spokesperson said beneficiaries have successfully accessed care under the scheme and called it a positive development. The government plans to enforce participation by requiring health insurance certificates for business licensing.
The same government that built state-of-the-art hospitals now asks citizens to pay N12,000 yearly for healthcare access it already failed to provide for free. Residents must pay private clinics or insurance premiums to get treatment in a system their taxes were meant to sustain. The irony is not lost on patients waiting in hospitals without roofs or drugs. Enugu's health policy now profits from the very collapse it allowed.
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