Popular Anambra hospital now house of weeds
Court dismisses case challenging PCN’s regulation of veterinary drugs
The General Hospital in Amanuke, a community in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State, used to be a hub of activity few decades ago.
The members of the community and its environs troop there to access medical treatment. According to residents of the community, the hospital served the whole of Igbo Adagbe area comprising Isuanaocha, Mgbakwu, Urum and even as far as Ebenebe.
However, all that now seemed history as the hitherto prominent hospital no longer has any staff nor medical activity going on there.
When this reporter visited the hospital, the massive compound containing a two-storey building and five bungalows with an estimated 150 bed capacity was completely deserted and The Federal High Court, Abuja has dismissed the suit filed by the Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) against the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) on the regulation of veterinary drugs and others.
The incorporated trustees of the Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association, (NVMA) had challenged the powers of the council in regulating and controlling pharmacy education, training and practice in all aspects and ramifications as set out by Act 92 of 1991 Cap. P17, LFN 2004.
The association in the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja argued that the mandate of PCN should be restricted to manufacturing, distribution, overgrown by bushes. No single hospital equipment was found in the facility.
Residents told our reporter that the dilapidated facility has been turned to a brothel of sorts where hoodlums engage in all kinds of activities. The bungalows have turned into habitats for termites, rodents and domestic animals and faeces and skeletons of dead animals littered the floor.
“Our one-time famous General Hospital is now overgrown with elephant grasses, and mounds of goat droppings, which serve as manure for some farmers who visit the place,” said a resident who does not want to be named.
“It is just a pity that Amanuke which was a rising star among communities in the old Awka division is now living in its former glory,” he bemoaned.
The pioneer Transition Chairman of Awka Local sale, and dispensing of human drugs, and that only veterinary surgeons should have rights to handle, sell and dispense veterinary drugs, vaccines and animal biologicals.
While dismissing the suit in favour of PCN, the presiding judge, Justice Dimgba held that the provisions of the Animal Diseases (Control) Act does not impinge on the powers of PCN in respect of registration of premises where animal drugs are kept and therefore an attempt to draw a distinction between human drugs and animal drugs was a misguided one.
In a related development, a Rivers State High Court sitting at Port Harcourt has struck out a suit filed by Dr. Grace Achilike, a medical doctor Council, Evangelist Ebenezer Okafor, said he would work to restore the hospital lost glory.
Udegbunam Udegbunam, a resident of Enuagu village of Amanuke community said the absence of a hospital in the community has forced residents to go to hospitals in faraway places.
“During emergencies, our wives resort to traditional birth attendants,” he added.
Udegbunam attributed the problem to the lingering chieftaincy tussle in the community saying that the community elected a traditional ruler, Chief Dennis Ezebuilo but some other people defied the choice of the community and elected their own person, and the case was now in court.
He said: “This has created internal strife and stalled development. Now, we
have no roads. Our General Hospital and Primary against PCN for sealing her unregistered premises, Prize Pharmaceuticals.
The plaintiff in the suit claimed that the exercise of powers by the PCN amounted to breach of her fundamental human right to the sales and dispensing of drugs.
Also, the court struck out the case of Oyedeji OlaEgbon Enterprises Limited in favour of PCN. In the Suit, the plaintiffs sued PCN and others over the sealing and evacuation of prescription drugs from their premises which were being sold and dispensed without a superintendent pharmacist in control. In the ruling, the court accepted the submission of PCN that the court process filed by the plaintiffs were incompetent, and struck it out. Healthcare collapsed.”
Mrs.Grace Okafor of Umueze village of the community said that expectant mothers usually go as far as Okpuno (near Awka) to deliver their babies due to absence of medical facilities in the area.
Chief Christian Oforah of Umuoghala village of the community, said so many things has gone wrong in the community. “We are at war but don’t shoot guns. Some people who believe they are highly connected created crises for us,” he said.
Chief John Nwoye, on his part, could not hold back tears as he shared his views over the collapse of the hospital.
He said the General Hospital was built when Chief Jim Nwobodo was governor of Old Anambra State. But over the years, the hospital and most things in the community Centre has have collapsed.
He said: “Recently, the government of Willie Obiano gave every community N20 million under the ‘choose your own project programme’. We have four civic centres: two stories at Amagu, one storey at Eziama, same at Umuohala, and Ogbojo villages. But the community leaders took the money and are building another civic centre. What are they going to do with another civic centre?
“To make the matter worse, the civic centre is located in a school compound, inside Union Secondary school, Amanuke where most of the structures are dilapidated. Why can’t they use the money to repair the school? Why can’t they use it to repair the hospital? Or use it to repair the Primary Health Centre?”
He appealed to the government to come to the aid of the community.