Edo sickle cell patients threaten to evict Health Commissioner, PS from office

Patients of sickle cell anemia in Benin City, Edo State have sent a strong warning to the Edo State Government of plans to carry-out their threat of evicting the Health Commissioner and the Permanent Secretary, PS  of the Ministry from the hospital complex donated to them by Mariam Babagida in 1991.

The patients accused the Edo State Government Officials in the Ministry of Health of plans to relocate them from the Sickle Cell Special Hospital to a Central Hospital, adding that the Ministry Officials have stopped admitting them but only give day care services to patients who actually need to be admitted.

According to the Chairman, Concerned Sickle Cell Sufferers, Parents and Guardians, Mr. Charles Edigin, they have made several peaceful protests to the government house and submitted their protest letters which have only been acknowledged.

The Chairman said they have pleaded to the State Governor to stop the Ministry of Health from relocating sickle cell patients to Central Hospital Benin for admission and to employ more staff in the centre as well as provide a modern functional ambulance.

Other complains of the group include non-provision of blood bank in the centre, inaccessibility of quality services due to unsubsidized drugs and high cost of laboratory services and treatment. “We the Concerned Sickle Cell Sufferers, Parents and Guardians would not fold our arms and watch helplessly the only sickle cell centre in Edo State turned into mere consulting clinic. We have suffered a lot emotionally, psychologically and financially since the past three (3) months when admission into the centre was stopped by the health commissioner. We have lost so many sufferers because we cannot afford treatment at Private Hospitals”, they lamented.

“We have also lost a number of patients, referred to Central Hospital because there was no doctor to give them prompt and adequate care. It is disheartening that a major part of the Sickle Cell Centre has been converted to offices for the Health Commissioner, Permanent Secretary of health and other personnel of the Ministry of Health”, the group added.

The Edo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Aihanuwa Eregie was not on seat when Our Benin City Correspondent visited the Ministry to sought her views on the development, but a very top Management Staff of the Ministry who prefers anonymity gave a documented law that made provisions for the establishment of the Edo State Sickle Cell Centre 2005 which empowered the State Government to manage the facility.

The source also explained the relevant functions of the Centre to include advocacy, research, counseling and out-patients service as inscribed in the act. “It is a clinic, not a hospital to admit patients, as you can see from the act that established the centre”.

It would be recalled that the sickle cell patients in Benin have been battling the Oshiomhole led government since three years over alleged indifference towards their plight, prompting them to boycott the last World Sickle Cell Day observed on June 19^th this year and also using the day to stage a peaceful protest to government house and parts of Benin City.

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