The recent reports of the new governor of Sokoto State paying an unscheduled visit to the general hospital in the state and discovering that they operated with torchlight put similar hospitals across the country in the spotlight.
Findings by Daily Trust Saturday revealed that hospitals of similar status in many states of the federation are facing a myriad of challenges, ranging from dilapidated facilities to shortage of human resources and poor funding.
General hospitals are majorly state government-owned health facilities established with the objective of offering affordable treatment to citizens and help improve health delivery that could not be accessed at primary health care centres (PHCs).
It is from such hospitals that patients are referred to federal medical centres and university teaching hospitals when the need arises.
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Over the years, some state governments across the country have established at least one general hospital in each local government area (especially old LGAs) and more in the state capital or local government areas with higher population, but most of such facilities are now in pitiful condition.
Patients that have the means rather go to private hospitals or federal facilities to access medical care.
This is because the deplorable condition and obsolete equipment in some of the state-owned hospitals remain a big challenge.
Our correspondents across the country sampled the terrible condition of such facilities with patients calling for action by authorities.
