Methodist General Hospital, Idu, Nigeria — The Hospital for both the Rich and the Poor

The last time I visited a hospital was 5 months ago when the sister of a Steemian died a few days after his marriage ceremony. I saw people struggle for their lives. The beeping sound of faint pulses was all I could hear in the emergency ward. I was like, is this what people face here? Actually, hospitals aren't bad places. There are erected structures to perform life-saving acts by qualified medical personnel. I visited a government hospital in my area called after the village name.

General Hospital — Ituk Mbang

This is a government hospital built in the year 1995 and renovated twice in the years 2018 and 2022. This hospital is far older than I am. So I'd say it's a historical building because the rooftops are made of archaic materials and there are some buildings still using lovas. Before I finally made up my mind to visit this hospital, I'd been turned down by some hospitality centres and pharmacies.

_{Picture of the hospital's name on a signboard}

The first pharmacy I went to refused to allow me to capture their building. They felt uncomfortable about it and had their minds travel very far. In Nigeria, people are very careful of pictures, as they can be used against you. It's either for kidnapping, terrorist purposes and the likes. Probably these were on their minds; that's why they found it very difficult to accept such open requests. It's better you do it in silence and that they aren't aware.

Another pharmacy I went to, a smaller one, directed me to another state to meet the director of the pharmacy and get approval before capturing the building. I was kind of shocked because it's just some drug stands, a lab and the likes, not inclusive of people or any other confidential information.

Finally, I got to this government hospital where I could snap comfortably but was given strict warning not to capture patients of interiors of all the facilities where people are. I also knew that was right and stuck to that as it would be very unpleasant capturing a sick patient on camera.

Name of place	Methodist General Hospital, Ituk Mbang
Services	Hospitalisation
Address	Southern Uruan 5, Uruan
Location	Google Maps
Steem-atlas	[//]:# (!steematlas 4.93520579 lat 8.03654194 long Methodist General Hospital, Ituk Mbang d3scr)
Opening Time and Closing Time	24 hours active for the emergency unit and maternity and specified times for other departments
Website	Source
Facebook handle	Methodist General Hospital, Ituk Mbang
Date of visit	25th September, 2024
Purpose of visit	Emergency, as a Steemian's sister has a fatal accident

How did I get to this hospital? you may ask. If I'm to count the number of government hospitals in Uyo, I doubt it's up to 30. The distance of this hospital is something that's painstaking. I was in pain as I had to spend 2000 naira going and coming back from the hospital. No negotiated price, or you'll stand there for long.

2000 naira	9.5 steems

Structure

The hospital, as a government property, is large and spacious with properly funded facilities and equipment used for work by certified personnel. It's kind of sloppy from the entrance. It has extended buildings with walls made of blocks from cement. Most of the buildings are closely packed to enhance fast accessibility through the aisles. Even with the recent renovations done, natural disasters have made the buildings look old, as if the hospital hasn't been renovated for 10 years or more.

Entrance and Security Post

This is the entrance of the general hospital, the hospital for everyone, both the rich and the poor. It has two entrances, one behind and another in front of the hospital. This is the publicly known entrance, while the other is more private and limited to patients. Once you enter from the main entrance, the left wing has the male and children wards, laboratories and gas plant centre, which was newly built, and the COVID-19 isolation camp, built in 2020.

_{Picture of the hospital's entrance}

The right wing from the entrance has the theatre, the outpatient department (OPD), the female ward, the maternity ward, the male surgical ward and the emergency unit. In front of the entrance is the former emergency unit, which isn't in use again due to natural disasters which affected the rooftops.

As the name implies, it's a government-funded hospital, and patients can actually expend less in this hospital since the government has covered major expenses. It's not like the private sectors that have demanding expenditures on treatments taken and the likes.

_{Picture of the hospital's security post}

There's no entrance fee at the gate, and the security personnel ensure people are checked in properly to avoid cases of armed robbery, as last incident was due to the carelessness of some security personnel who didn't check patients that pretended to be emergency patients.

OPD - Outpatient Department

This is more like the reception in a business or company where you get to see a receptionist and request a meeting with someone or for an application. The person gets to see you first before meeting other personnel in the office or business. **The outpatient department is where patients who aren't admitted get to be admitted or are taken on requests to see the doctor. Most times, it's first come, first served, while in emergency situations, the patient is attended to immediately, imminently and the attention of the emergency unit is sought.

_{Picture of the hospital's Outpatient Department unit}

It's a place where patients are given initial responses and consultations without having to be admitted into the hospital. It's actually the first point of contact, so to speak. On normal weekdays, you'll see patients sit based on how they came to receive immediate attention and, if possible, were admitted into the hospital or directed to be seen by a doctor for consultation or treatment. It's located on the right wing of the hospital, close to the gate. I wasn't allowed to snap the interior because of the patients seated there.

Male Surgical Ward

This is an area designated for male patients recovering from surgical procedures. The theatre is just a stone's throw from the male surgical ward. Operations aren't done here. It's just a space where male patients who have undergone operation stay to recover from the procedure. Sometimes it takes weeks or months depending on the individual.

_{Picture of the hospital's male surgical ward}

I was opportune to capture the interior of the male surgical ward, as there were no patients. The interior needs a lot of work, as the ceilings are bad, as is the bed and the physical outlook. It's more of a local hospital, but the government needs to work more on the interiors than the exteriors as they did last renovation time.

_{Picture of the interior part of the male surgical ward.}

Female Ward

This is located on the right wing of the hospital from the entrance and is close to a long aisle which connects the male surgical ward, theatre and maternity ward. This female ward is for female patients who are admitted into the hospital and cared for till they get better. This wasn't where the female ward was years back. The renovations and demolition changed everything. Protecting the confidentiality of patients, I didn't snap the interior where they are laid to rest and receive follow-up treatments. Relatives of the female patient can enter to see their loved one.

_{Picture of the hospital's entrance to the theatre}

The theatre is right opposite the female ward and has its entrance on an aisle linked to the male surgical ward. It was locked at the time of capture.. This room is designated for carrying out operations, either on maternity or other surgical functions. It's situated close to the maternity ward. It's not accessed by anyone except the personnel that are licensed to work and the nurses or doctors bringing the patients.

_{Picture of the hospital's medical theatre}

Maternity Ward

This is the most visited ward in this hospital, as patients come with pregnancy issues and get delivered of their babies here. In cases of complications in birth, the patient is taken to the theatre for operations to be done surgically to remove the child, either dead or alive. The ward is big enough to contain women who may want to stay there days till their pregnancy is due.

_{Picture of the hospital's maternity ward}

Advice to mothers and female patients on family planning is given to control birth and make use of protection. Vaccination is done for children between 0 and 59 months after birth to prevent polio, which is common among children nowadays.

Male Ward and laboratories

This is where the male ward can be found, still for the same purpose as that of the female patients, though it's male patients that would be taken good care of there. Tests are conducted in the laboratories, as there are two laboratories. The doctor has a special office for consultation and advice.

Male ward for male patients	Laboratories in the hospital

Close to the male ward is the children's ward. Children do have their own special place to be attended to and receive medical treatments from the doctors. It's not selective of the gender, as both male and female children are admitted.

_{Picture of the hospital's children ward}

The building is painted with a colourful paint to make children feel they are safe and that the other part of the hospital may not come into their minds. There's an essential basic necessity that provides water for the community and the people there in.

Gas plant and Isolation Centre

We have the gas plant section where oxygen is gotten and filled for use by emergent patients who request it. Beside the gas station is the former isolation centre built by the government to keep COVID-19 patients in isolation for quite a long period of time. It actually looks more isolated, as the walls are relatively high to prevent people from having a glimpse.

The newly erected gas plant house	Isolation centre for the then COVID-19

This was actually one of the best buildings where the government really worked during the pandemic. The building has been abandoned since 2021 and has been left locked till further notice. The presence of the school of nursing and midwifery stands as a legacy in the school to help train young Nigerian nurses to become proud of the nursing profession and to cherish the act of saving.

	Female student Nurse Hostel
	School of Nursing/Midwifery

Aside from the school, there are designated hostels in the hospital with different names for the accommodation of students coming from far to school here. These are the major facilities in the hospital. Lest I forget, we have the honourable canteen house where nurses and student nurses purchase things during lunch hours. There's a special apartment for the administrative personnel in this hospital, and it's also found close to the canteen. The hospital is a legacy that has been held for year.

Maintenance Level

The level of cleanliness and maintenance in this hospital is poor. The government needs to put an eye on this place once more. Since it's government property, no one would single-handedly paint the place or replace any damaged equipment. It's just to file a report, and the government would send workers. Cleanliness may be okay, but maintenance is bad. You may wonder if this is really a hospital or some sort of abandoned place. Every incharge tries to make their ward clean and neat.

Services Rendered

They offer all kinds of emergency services, antenatal, diagnosis, scans, surgical services, medical, special clinical, obstetrics & gynaecology services. All these are services rendered in this hospital as the availability of equipment permits. They don't offer the following services:

• Ambulance Services

• Dental Services

• Mortuary Services

• Imaging

• Pharmacy for the purchase of prescribed drugs. You'll only be referred.

Since it's not a standard hospital that works digitally, the booking of emergency services is done physically.

My experience in this Hospital

I've been in this hospital countless times because my mom worked as a matron in the maternity ward of this hospital years back until she was transferred to Oron. I've not been admitted here before, but my last visit was to visit a Steemian whose sister was lying helplessly on a stretcher. It was just so pathetic, but the nurses were helpful and understanding. They gave us that attention we needed even though the victim later died after all possible ways to resuscitate her unconscious state..

The treatment by the nurses proved the quality of service. Their ability to prioritise the life of the person is what baffles me, as some private hospitals may delay you in questioning, asking for admission fees and the likes. **You must have your medical card in this hospital before you get admitted, and although the admission fee wasn't disclosed to me, it's moderate as the government also has a hand.

Waiting time: Patients don't have to wait that long, especially those with emergency cases. There are a lot of medical personnel that attend to patients now compared to before. Once you have a card in this hospital, you barely have to pay excessively to get things done.

Medical Card	Free

Just imagine paying less than 5k if you're to be delivered of a baby in this hospital; that's why I call it a hospital for both the rich and the poor. In what sense are the rich looking for hospitals where they can have a safe delivery, even if it's local? **The poor are looking for hospitals that are completely free, and they won't have to spend much money to receive medical treatments.

Visiting hours are 24 hours, as long as your loved one or relative is in the ward. My experience here isn't bad, and I'll recommend this place.

Recommendations

Qualified medical personnel are often seen in this hospital, and cases of death are not often heard of because of the capable hands of each in charge in the wards found in the hospital. She scrutinises and trains those who work under her, as they all are working under the government. This is one of the reasons most women have safe deliveries. Their environment may not be worthwhile, but the quality of service is good.

To the women in rural areas who think that traditional birth attendants can grant them safe delivery without charging them high fees, I also want to tell you that in Methodist General Hospital, you won't have to pay anything when delivering your baby. Just a stipend for basic cleaning and the likes, as the government seldom provides them. You'll also be delivered of in a clean and healthy environment where you'll get the best of medical attention and would be nursed.

Cease the fear of losing your child in the hospital. The hospital is your friend and is ready to help you. Certified hands are entrusted to carry out work in this hospital. Don't fear; you may have to pay exorbitantly. It's a hospital for both the rich and the poor.

I invite @whizzbro4eva, @suboohi and @m-fdo.