January 3, 2026 | Akwa Ibom State – Residents of Akpautong in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area have been left in despair as Mount Carmel Hospital, the only primary healthcare facility in the area, lies abandoned and in severe decay.
A recent assessment by civic tech group Tracka revealed the alarming state of the hospital, which serves at least six surrounding communities. The report highlights years of neglect, with many wards now unsafe and overrun by weeds. Roofs have collapsed, walls are badly cracked, floors are damaged, and broken hospital beds and obsolete medical equipment litter the wards, reflecting prolonged abandonment.
The facility lacks basic amenities, including running water, a functional sanitation system, and public electricity. Health workers are reportedly forced to buy water and rely on private generators to provide even the most basic care, raising costs and risks for patients.
For over seven years, only the female ward has remained partially functional. Even this ward is overstretched, admitting men, women, and children together in dangerously overcrowded conditions, heightening the risk of infections.
Despite the dire conditions, Tracka commended the dedication of the doctors and nurses who continue to serve the community daily, often at great personal risk.
Reacting to the report, civic tech organisation MonITNG condemned the neglect, pointing out the contrast between rural healthcare decay and the ₦1.65 trillion 2025 Akwa Ibom State budget and the declared state of emergency in the health sector.
MonITNG also referenced the Federal Government’s ₦32.9 billion Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) approved for the fourth quarter of 2025, set to be disbursed to states and PHCs from January 2026 under BHCPF 2.0. The organisation stressed that such funding should prevent continued neglect of rural facilities.
“No Nigerian should be forced to seek healthcare in such dehumanising conditions,” MonITNG said. “The people of Akpautong and Ibesikpo Asutan urgently need a comprehensive rehabilitation of Mount Carmel Hospital. Access to safe and dignified healthcare must be a right for all, not a privilege of location.”
The organisation called for immediate government intervention to bridge the urban-rural healthcare divide and ensure that BHCPF funds translate into real improvements for neglected rural facilities.
