By SUNTV Global Channel | January 2, 2026
Residents of Etim Ekpo Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State have raised urgent alarm over the shocking state of the Mathew Udo Ekpo Memorial Health Centre, describing the facility as a public hazard rather than a place meant to save lives.
Findings reveal that the health centre—reportedly the only public healthcare facility serving thousands of residents across several communities—has been left in ruins. The building is severely dilapidated, with a leaking and partially collapsed roof, broken windows, cracked walls and no electricity supply.
During rainfall, water reportedly pours directly into the wards and corridors, exposing patients and health workers to rain, extreme heat and the constant danger of falling debris.
“The risk of injury or death from structural failure is real and constant,” a civic technology platform, MonITNG, warned after drawing attention to the situation.
According to the platform, the centre’s doors are often locked—not for security—but because the facility is barely functional. There are no safe wards, no reliable power supply and no conducive environment to treat patients, effectively shutting residents out of basic healthcare.
As a result, pregnant women in labour, sick children, accident victims, the elderly and people living with chronic illnesses are forced to travel long distances to the local government headquarters in search of medical care. For many families, the journey is costly, exhausting and sometimes impossible due to poor road networks and lack of transportation.
In emergency cases, residents say such delays often mean the difference between life and death.
The neglect has placed what locals describe as an unbearable burden on families. Some are forced to sell personal belongings to afford transport and medical bills, while others resort to self-medication or unqualified local care. Many simply stay at home and hope for survival.
“A whole community of thousands has effectively been cut off from healthcare,” the report stated.
MonITNG noted that the situation in Etim Ekpo reflects a wider crisis across Akwa Ibom State. Despite billions of naira reportedly allocated annually to the health sector, many Primary Health Centres (PHCs) remain abandoned or non-functional, lacking electricity, clean water, hospital beds, essential drugs and qualified personnel.
The platform also questioned the impact of federal interventions, recalling that the Federal Government recently announced the release of ₦32.9 billion through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund to strengthen PHCs nationwide.
“While commendable in principle, this amount—shared across 36 states and the FCT—falls far short of addressing decades of neglect and systemic failure,” it said.
Across Nigeria, PHCs are reportedly in deplorable conditions, with patients often asked to buy gloves, syringes and drugs before receiving treatment. In some communities, women still give birth on bare floors, while clean water, electricity and basic medical equipment remain luxuries rather than standards.
Observers say the state of the Mathew Udo Ekpo Memorial Health Centre has become a stark symbol of governance failure.
“Healthcare is not a privilege; it is a fundamental right,” MonITNG stressed, calling on the Akwa Ibom State Government and the Federal Ministry of Health to move beyond press statements and budget figures to visible and measurable action.
“Lives are being lost,” the platform warned. “Nigerians are watching.”
