The Management of Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) has debunked reports that 36 infants died as a result of a power outage in its facility.
The Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee and Director of Clinical Services, Training and Research, Dr. Olukunle Obagaye, said this in a statement issued in Irrua on Friday.
Dr. Olukunle Obagaye was reacting to reports on social media that 36 infants died at the hospital, although he confirmed that there was a power outage.
He, however, said the report was intended to damage the image of the institution which he describes as a centre of excellence.
The statement reads, “The Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital is an institution, where the world’s best medical standards are practised and maintained. Which also has helped make the institution one of the best medical centres in the South-South and Nigeria at large.
“However, it is quite saddening that certain persons try to tarnish the image of the hospital by spreading false messages and information that are inaccurate.
“Our attention has been drawn to a story of the 36 babies dying in the hospital, this is not correct. We did not record any infant mortality in our SCBU (inborn and outborn) as a result of our electrical power outage, our backup standby generators serviced the hospital for the period, with all emergency areas fully powered. Additionally sensitive areas such as the SCBU and dialysis have dedicated unit generators as backup. We also have in operation a solar power system which provides an additional power source.
The admission capacity of that unit is not in any way close to 36. So to say that 36 babies died in a unit that does not have that bed capacity is not only spurious but malicious and a targeted attack on the hospital management.
“No baby died in our facility due to the unfortunate power failure incident occasioned by the damage to the 2.5 MVA transformer, neither were our services adversely disrupted. It is also important to state that mortalities happen in the hospital unrelated to electricity but due to conditions related to disease conditions.
“The management of ISTH frowns seriously at such scandalous social media propaganda that is intended to damage its image.The current management of the hospital ably led by the Prof R A Eifediyi has taken power supply as a major priority of his administration and has invested a lot of resources in alternative power. Part of this is a dedicated generator to the facility. Additionally no baby has died recently in SCBU from power related causes.
Management is not unaware of the possibility of sabotage in the current power problem in the hospital. This may be coming from unscrupulous persons who are bent on tarnishing the good name of ISTH and its management.
“We want the general public to know that we remain committed in our service to humanity.
However, a detailed investigation has been ordered to unravel the motive behind such a scandalous report”
