UI Medical Students Protest 100-Day Blackout At UCH, Demand Urgent Action

Medical students from the University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, staged a protest on Monday at the venue of a meeting between the Federal Government and the management of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan. The demonstration was in response to the hospital’s prolonged power outage, which has lasted for over 100 days.

The meeting, convened by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, aimed to address the electricity crisis crippling Nigeria’s premier teaching hospital.

Led by former UI Students’ Union President, Samson Samuel, the protesting students expressed their frustration over the blackout, which they said had severely disrupted their academic and clinical activities. They demanded an immediate timeline for implementing the Federal Government’s promised 50% electricity tariff discount for tertiary hospitals and called for the urgent restoration of power at UCH.

“We are here today to express our displeasure and frustration over more than 100 days of electricity darkness at UCH. As medical students, we rely heavily on electricity to power our equipment and facilities, but this outage has made it impossible for us to carry out our academic and clinical activities effectively,” said one of the students, Tola.

Meanwhile contrary to the report in some national dailies claiming that the families and loved ones of patients at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan brought generators and inverters to the hospital in order for patients to get an effective medical treatment, the Management of the first Nigeria’s teaching hospital, has dismissed the report, saying there is no iota of truth in the news.

The Management of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, however, said that the Hospital “is working round the clock to provide alternative and sustainable electricity to power to the hospital.”

Funmi Adetuyibi, Public Relations Officer of the Hospital, said “indeed, we have since embarked on a phased approach, including the provision of alternative energy (solar inverters and diesel-powered generators) in critical units such as the wards, accident and emergency, labour ward and theatres.”

It will be recalled that Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) had disconnected the UCH twice over huge debts owed by the hospital, despite the scenario, Adetuyibi, in a press statement that was issued on Sunday in Ibadan, dismissed the news alleging that patients would have to bring generators and inverters to the hospital wards for the patients to be effectively treated.

While describing the claims as false and baseless, she insisted “that UCH does not operate the mini generators as shown in the report.”

Adetuyibi who condemned the publication as a deliberate and malicious misrepresentation of facts, stated that “despite the disconnection by IBEDC, the hospital has made concerted efforts to ensure that we deliver on our core mandates of Clinical Services, Research and Training.

“We have continued to engage well-wishers and stakeholders (Locally, Nationally and Internationally) including our supervising ministry and IBEDC in a bid to find long lasting and sustainable solution to the power challenge. Indeed, many have supported our efforts by their generous donations to the implementation of these efforts.

“We want to use this medium to inform the general public that the said story is untrue, unfounded and malicious. On behalf of Management, Staff and Student of the University College Hospital, Ibadan we appreciate the patience and understanding of our patients, patient relations and the general public during this trying period.”

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