Residents of Ayamelum Council Area of Anambra State have debunked claims that the Anaku General Hospital, commissioned recently by Governor Chukwuma Soludo, was empty and non-functional.
On the 25th of October, Governor Soludo had commissioned the hospital, promising that it would be a game-changer in the council area.
However, a viral video earlier this week had shown some youths moving around the facility, alleging that it was empty and accusing Governor Soludo of scamming the people with non-existent projects.
But, during a visit on Thursday to the facility by The News Chronicle correspondent, patients were seen being attended to by medical personnel.
In some of the sections visited, there were also medical equipment and other facilities.
Some of the clients, Uju Igweze from Anaku, who said she was delivered of a baby on the 25th of October at the facility, Mr Anthony Onochie, who came for Optometry Service, and John Ejomofor, who is the Chairman of the Ogbaku Age Grade, the ruling age grade in Anaku, attested to the fact that the facility was up and running.
They debunked the rumours that the facility was not working, saying the quality of service they will receive will ensure that they disseminate the information about the existence of the hospital to other parts of the Council area.
The Supervisor for Works in the Council Area, Hon Ginika Samuel said it is unfortunate that some people were being used to peddle such falsehood that the hospital was not working, noting that the whole efforts were geared towards undermining the good works of our governor.
According to him, those peddling the falsehood are people living outside and they do not care about our plight as core rural dwellers.
“We appeal to the governor to continue to deploy more medical personnel to this hospital. On our part, we will continue to provide protection for the facility,” he assured.
For his part, the President-General of Anaku Community, Mr Onyebuchi Nwuba, noted that they have been clamouring for the health facility for many years now due to the health challenges their people face.
“We are pleading to the governor and the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, that we are not behind the falsehood that was being peddled by some political individuals.
“We sincerely apologize to the governor for the whole scenario, and we assure him that we will fish out those responsible for this falsehood.
“The governor cannot come from Awka and take medications here. It is our people who will benefit from this. Before now, our major challenge was access to medical care because there was no hospital here in Ayamelum, and we also do not have access road.
If someone is sick, before we get the person to the hospital in Umueri or Aguleri, the person will die.
“So, we cannot underplay how important this facility is to our people, and as such, cannot support such political games by some individuals. We have summoned a meeting and the persons involved will be fished out and appropriate sanctions meted out to them,” he said.
Explaining what transpired at the facility, the Chief Administrative Officer of the hospital, Chiedozie Otuonye, said,“They just entered and were shouting that ‘someone was dying’ and fondling with the doorknob, without opening the door.
They videoed it and shouted that the hospital is a scam and when we opened the door to know what was happening, they ran away.
“We gathered that it was an APC member and two touts that came on that mission, and their bid was just to discredit the work of the state government.
“What they did was stage-managed. Every equipment brought here is intact. The hospital was commissioned a day before and that day they came, patients and personnel were inside. They just staged the whole scenario and videoed it to discredit the efforts of the governor.
“The same day it was commissioned, we had about seven surgeries. The next day, we had another surgery and a successful birth delivery. Over the weekend, we had about five hernia surgeries.”
The President General of Anaku Community, Onyebuchi Nwuba expressed disappointment over what he termed the politicization of government-owned projects in the community.
He described the ugly development as purely the handiwork of the opposition, warning those behind the act to desist forthwith or face the consequences.
Promising that the community would unravel those behind the act, Nwuba also pledged the community’s readiness to take full ownership and protection of the hospital and other projects in the area.
He said, “We’re not part nor in support of the controversial video. It’s purely the handiwork of the opposition. We’re very sorry for the ugly development.
“It’s unfortunate the way people politicize everything just to rubbish the good of their opponent. But we won’t tolerate anyone trying to politicize development in this community, including the hospital.
“We promise the governor to look into the matter and report back to him. We’re also pledging adequate protection of the hospital and other projects in the area.
“We’re taking full ownership of the facilities and are ready to protect them. This hospital is our life. All the surgeries here are done free of charge.”
On his part, a youth leader from Igbakwu, Mr Christopher Obiorah, warned that no one should play politics with the health of their people, insisting that the hospital is not for politics.
