Asokoro General Hospital, one of the busiest hospitals in Abuja, the Nigerian capital city has no functional laboratory, Media Advocacy West Africa Foundation (MAWA-Foundation) has uncovered.
An investigation by MAWA about the hospital operation shows it has no functional laboratory while many of the patients are referred to other laboratories outside the hospital for tests while they bring the result for treatment.
Mrs. Joy Onuche who was admitted to the emergency unit of the hospital over a suspected cancer lung whom MAWA followed her case revealed how the hospital operates without a functional laboratory.
MAWA Foundation reporter, who spent two nights at the hospital investigating their operational efficiency, found that the hospital relies on Mogadishu Barracks laboratory and other laboratories to carry out tests before patients can be treated.
When MAWA reporter approached the hospital laboratory attendants under the disguise that he is a patient that wants to carry out a medical test, after spending over two hours without been attended to, another laboratory attendant who felt pity for the reporter, told him there is no functional laboratory.
When MAWA reporter inquired from the hospital laboratory attendant what to do since the hospital does not have a functional laboratory, she gave him a test specimen container, asked him to cough inside it, take it to Mogadishu barracks where the test will be conducted while he brings back the result for treatment.
Mrs. Onuche who was admitted to the hospital was later referred to National hospital over lack of laboratory test facilities after she had spent two days at the emergency ward in the hospital.
This is even as the hospital had given Onuche and her family different medical tests that cost over N90, 000.
One of the Doctors in the hospital, who spoke to MAWA foundation, explained that the hospital does not have a functional laboratory while it relies on Mogadishu laboratory and other laboratories to carry out medical tests for patients.
Another senior official of the hospital, who claims to work closely with the Medical Director, while speaking to MAWA, confirmed that apart from lack of non-functional laboratory, the hospital lacks basic medical equipment making it impossible for doctors to effectively do their job and adequately treat patients.
Asked if the hospital does not get an allocation from the government, the official said it does, but, referred MAWA to approach the account operational department and the Chief Medical Director for the exact amount of allocation that comes to the hospital.
Asokoro General Hospital is an exception, across the Nigerian state; there are apparent cases of poor medical facilities with many of the hospitals not having basic simple medical equipment.