Bayelsa community laments collapse of 27-year hospital

Once a beacon of hope and a vital health hub for riverine communities in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, the Cottage Hospital in Okoroba now stands as a symbol of neglect. For nearly three decades, the facility provided essential services, from safe deliveries to emergency treatments, serving not only Okoroba but also neighboring communities across Nembe and parts of Ogbia. Today, it is a place of silence, choked by weeds and crumbling buildings.

The hospital, originally built by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) between 1993 and 1997, operated under a successful tripartite arrangement. The Bayelsa State Government provided medical personnel, the Okoroba community supplied non-medical staff, and SPDC managed equipment, drugs, and overall operations. This collaboration ensured that patients traveled from as far as Idema and Ikensi for treatment, with mothers bringing children for immunizations and fishermen injured in the creeks receiving care.

However, the situation deteriorated when SPDC reduced its onshore operations, and management of the facility was transferred to the Bayelsa State Hospitals Management Board. Over time, medical staff numbers dwindled, essential equipment vanished, and the buildings began to decay. Now, the compound is largely covered by grass, termites infest the abandoned structures, and reptiles have made the premises their home.

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The hospital that once served communities across Nembe and parts of Ogbia has deteriorated beyond recognition and usefulness.

The consequences of this abandonment are dire. Residents report that pregnant women, children, and emergency patients must now undertake long and dangerous boat journeys to reach functional medical facilities. Community leaders claim that lives have been lost during these arduous trips. They are urgently appealing to the Bayelsa State Government, the Ministry of Health, and intervention agencies like the Niger Delta Development Commission to intervene, rehabilitate the hospital, and redeploy both medical and non-medical staff.

For the people of Okoroba, the derelict hospital is more than just a neglected building; it represents a community that feels forgotten. They are pleading for the restoration of a service that once provided them with essential care and gave them hope for a healthier future.

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The Okoroba Cottage Hospital building started in the year 1993 and was completed in the year 1997 by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) of Nigeria limited, as