Patients and their families staged a protest outside the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan on Monday, expressing their frustration over a 17-day power outage that has severely affected hospital services.
The power cut has disrupted crucial medical operations such as surgeries, laboratory tests, and other vital services, leaving many patients in dire conditions.
The outage came after the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) disconnected the hospital’s power supply due to unpaid bills.
According to the hospital’s management, UCH is placed in the highest commercial tariff band, and its monthly electricity bill stands at a staggering N88 million.
This large bill has created a serious financial strain on the hospital, which now faces difficulties in maintaining essential services.
Frustrated patients and their families gathered outside the hospital, demanding that the management resolve the electricity issue immediately.
In a video shared by Oyo Affairs on X, a man could be heard confronting the hospital management, accusing them of negligence.
“There’s no electricity, and people are dying in the wards,” the man shouted. “You are just sitting there calling yourselves management while people suffer.”
The protester continued to express anger over what he saw as the hospital’s failure to prioritize patients.
“What did we do to deserve this? You are so indifferent to the plight of the patients. People are dying while you protect your own relatives when they come here,” he said.
He did not hold back his criticism of the hospital management, shouting, “CMD, thief! The management here are thieves. You’re collecting exorbitant fees from us, raising costs on everything, and yet nothing improves.”
Some patients, trapped in the wards, also joined the protest. They were seen banging on metal surfaces, chanting, “Turn on the electricity for us.”
“We have no electricity, no water. Do you want to kill us?” one patient shouted, urging hospital authorities to act quickly.
Another patient added, “You’re damaging the reputation of UCH, a premier hospital, while patients suffer without power or water.”
A hospital official spoke to the protesters, explaining that the power issue was beyond the hospital’s control. The official explained that the high electricity bills were a major factor in the ongoing outage.
“Did you know IBEDC billed us N88 million in the first week and N99 million in the second week?” the official asked.
“We need to be honest with ourselves,” the official continued, stressing that UCH was facing an impossible financial burden due to the high tariff it is placed under.
The official called for greater support, urging the federal government to follow through on its promise to cover 50 percent of the electricity costs for all hospitals, including UCH.
“Unfortunately, the federal government has not yet fulfilled their promise,” the official said.
The power outage at UCH has had a far-reaching impact on its ability to provide timely healthcare services. Surgeries have been postponed, and essential laboratory tests have been delayed, causing a backlog of patients in need of immediate care.
For patients with serious medical conditions, the lack of power has made their situations even more perilous.
The management of UCH has called on the IBEDC and the federal government to reconsider the hospital’s high tariff band classification, arguing that the steep fees make it difficult for the hospital to offer consistent, reliable services.
While the hospital’s financial situation remains challenging, it is clear that patients are bearing the brunt of these difficulties.
UCH is one of Nigeria’s leading medical institutions, providing treatment to thousands of patients from across the country.
However, the ongoing power disruptions have raised serious questions about the hospital’s ability to continue serving its patients at the level it once did.
The hospital’s management has expressed its frustration with the situation, emphasizing that the power cuts are not just a financial problem, but a direct threat to patient care.
