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| One of the blocks of the hospital damaged by the fire |
By Nnabugwu Chizoba
Recently the news outlets, both traditional and New Media were occupied with news that the Isuikwuato General Hospital was on fire. The fire that gutted the hospital as reports indicated started in the night, and by the time it was off, large chunk of the medical facility was badly damaged. This development left sour test in the mouth of people, ugly narratives and heavy burden on the community and the government in multiple ways.
As painful and ugly as the above development is, the heartwarming news is that Air Vice Martial Chikwendu Onyike (Rtd), the man at the helm of affairs as the Mayor of Isuikwuato Local Government Area (LGA), was on ground himself by reason of his early arrival at the scene of the fire disaster. He witnessed the ugly fire incident. Good news also is the picture painted that the Mayor had on resumption of office (before the fire incident) ordered the clearing of the immediate surroundings of the hospital. Who knows what the situation would have been if he had not done that.
Apart from the Mayor, Air Vice Martial Chikwendu Onyike (Rtd), any other person can imagine, but only him can tell his mental, emotional and psychological state, the torture he went through watching the medical facility being destroyed by fire. Our sympathy goes to him, the governor of Abia State, Chief Alex Otti, and the good people of Isuikwuato, and the management and staff of the hospital.
Cases of Fire outbreak abound generally, but have been rare in Isuikwuato and in the affected hospital. Though fire disasters occur and for several reasons and factors, the fact is, the fire disaster that occurred at Isuikwuato General Hospital came at a heavy cost to the people, the Isuikwuato community and the government of Abia state.
Fire disasters of the magnitude recorded at the Isuikwuato General hospital come with loss of life (death), destruction of property, and loss of means of livelihood. Apart from the body pains that the injured bears or suffers when life is not affected in a fire disaster of this nature, pains or injuries associated with inability to use any affected body part temporarily or permanently; and the inability to use the facility affected either wholly or partially, temporarily or permanently are incapacitating, disempowering, disabling, disorienting and disfiguring: huge effects to say the least.
The fire disaster that occurred at the Isuikwuato general Hospital was not fatal, thus, there was no loss of life; and nobody was physically injured. The notion, generally, will be there is no incapacitation or disability occasioned by the fire. This notion is held because more often than not incapacitation or disability is viewed by so many people as damage inflicted on the body mostly. In the case of the fire incident at the Isuikwuato general hospital, economic and emotional incapacitations abound. This is discernable to the wise and prudent only.
Taking cognizance of the above assertion, urgent steps are required of the relevant authorities to come to the rescue to curtail the already worsening situations inherent from the fire disaster. The burnt medical facility is strategically located therefore its role in the community is strategic. This draws attention to the number of people and the caliber of persons primarily served by the burnt medical facility. This as a matter of fact raises the question, is there an alternative medical facility within the vicinity of the burnt medical facility where health induced pressures in the area are attended to presently?
The above scenario lays credence to the fact that intervention by the appropriate, relevant and competent authorities towards repairing the damaged portions of the medical facility is not expected to take long before the hospital will begin to function again, with improved services even. This is the plea of the people of Isuikwuato to the government of Abia state, donor agencies and other bodies reputed for interventions in situations of this nature. Who feels it knows it.
It is a matter of fact that the fire outbreak at the medical facility in isuikwuato dealt a heavy blow, with devastating effect on the Isuikwuato community and her people: individually and collectively.
A popular axiom holds that “health is wealth”. Thus, the wealth of any community whose medical facility is destroyed is threatened already and the community headed to destruction and extinction. This fact should arouse the interest; passion and commitment of the Abia state government: the owner of the burnt medical facility. It is also intended to attract attention of other stakeholders, including the national and state assembly members representing Isuikwuato who expectedly should rise and act fast to ensure the damaged areas of the hospital are repaired to put back to use as soon as possible, in order to break the chains of ugly narratives and tales of woes already building up and will continue to if unchecked through early intervention on the damaged hospital facility. Delay they say is dangerous.
Early response to this call will give the people of Isuikwuato a sense of belonging and prove to them practically that their life is not only important but valued and valuable to the Alex Otti led leadership in Abia state. Time will tell…
Click the link below to see more pictures of the effects of the fire disaster that occurred at the general hospital isuikwuato:
https://www.belfordscorelines.com/2024/01/isuikwuato-general-hospital-picture.html?m=1
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