Patients protest against robbery attacks at Benin Central Hospital

The protesters

Relatives of patients and some patients receiving treatment at the Benin Central Hospital, Edo State, yesterday protested against incessant armed robbery attacks at the Maternity Ward of the tertiary hospital.

It was gathered that the aggrieved patients, who were mostly women, overpowered the only security guard at the gate who tried to stop them and put the gates leading to the hospital under locks and keys, preventing outpatients and workers from accessing the hospital for over two hours.

Spokesperson of the protesters, Mrs. Loveth Ogenekaro, said the protest was to register their grievances over what she described as incessant robbery incident in the hospital.

She said: “Last Sunday, around 1a.m., armed robbers entered the maternity ward through the ceiling and dispossessed a patient’s relation of N100,000 and three phones. This is not the first time of there will be robbery attacks in the hospital.

“Last week, patients at the accident and emergency ward were also robbed and the management is not doing anything about it. The money was meant to settle the hospital bill of a patient who gave birth in the hospital. I was the one who borrowed her N5,000 to buy drugs,” she said.

Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Philip Ugbodaga, who addressed the protesters, assured them that adequate security would be provided. “When the incident happened, I reported the matter to the police and our security guards were able to get one the robbers who was handed over to the police. We have requested for police presence at night.”

He added that they believe the robbery was done in collaboration with an insider because when they entered the ward, they didn’t even ask for the money, but went straight to where the money was kept to pick it.

Also reacting, the Director, Hospital Services and Chief Executive Hospital Management Board, Dr. Chris Obaseki, described the development as unfortunate, saying hospital is a place where patients sought for treatment.

He, however, gave the assurance that they are doing their possible best to provide security in the hospital.