Residents of Kogi Central have expressed disappointment, with many calling for urgent action to prevent the hospital from becoming another white elephant project.

Senator Akpoti-Udughan has vowed to ensure the matter receives attention in the 2025 budget, demanding a clear timeline for the facility’s activation.

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“The government owes it to the people of Kogi Central to make this facility functional. We cannot afford to let this investment go to waste while our people suffer,” she asserted.

The lawmaker said this while speaking during a Senate Committee on Health session with heads of federal medical centres.

She questioned why a fully equipped, 50-bed capacity hospital, annexed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Lokoja, remains non-operational years after its completion.

“This facility, strategically located along the busy Okene-Auchi road to handle emergencies, has been abandoned despite substantial federal investment.

The equipment is deteriorating, and lives are being lost on this route due to a lack of access to immediate care,” she lamented.

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The senator’s query comes amid growing frustration among constituents who view the hospital as a symbol of government inefficiency. Despite being handed over to FMC Lokoja four years ago, the hospital has yet to serve its intended purpose.

Dr. Olatunde Alabi, Chief Medical Director of FMC Lokoja, admitted the failure to operationalize the facility, citing a severe shortage of personnel at FMC Lokoja as a primary hindrance.

“We’ve made efforts to assign staff, but the personnel deficit at FMC Lokoja makes it impossible to staff the Ukpogo Cottage Hospital. We need intervention to address this gap,” Dr. Alabi told the committee.

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He further warned that the state-of-the-art equipment installed at the hospital is at risk of becoming obsolete if the facility continues to remain inactive.

Residents of Kogi Central have expressed disappointment, with many calling for urgent action to prevent the hospital from becoming another white elephant project.

Senator Akpoti-Udughan has vowed to ensure the matter receives attention in the 2025 budget, demanding a clear timeline for the facility’s activation.

“The government owes it to the people of Kogi Central to make this facility functional. We cannot afford to let this investment go to waste while our people suffer,” she asserted.