Residents of Okoroba Community in Nembe Local Government Area have appealed to the Bayelsa State Government for the urgent rehabilitation of their only cottage hospital, which has fallen into a state of dilapidation and is currently non-functional.
Chairman of Okoroba Council of Chiefs, Chief Douglas Etulankimor Sampson-Eteli, and Chief A.O. Etire expressed deep concern over the facility’s deplorable condition.
They described the hospital as abandoned and “looking like a graveyard” due to the complete absence of medical staff, equipment, and essential services.
The community leaders, speaking through Ala-Delight Publicity Services, recalled that the hospital was built and donated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) on behalf of the NNPC/Shell/Agip/Elf Joint Venture.
According to them, the Hospital was handed over to the Bayelsa State Government on May 8, 1997, and was once regarded as one of the most functional rural health centres in the state.
They lamented that years of neglect have left residents particularly pregnant women, children, and emergency patients without access to basic healthcare. Many are now forced to travel long distances for medical treatment, a situation that has reportedly led to avoidable deaths.
The community has therefore appealed to the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe, the Bayelsa State Hospitals Management Board, and intervention agencies such as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to immediately renovate, equip, and restore the hospital to full operation.
The leaders stressed that reviving the facility is critical to saving lives and improving healthcare delivery in the riverine community.
