Patients seeking medical attention at Maitama District Hospital in Abuja experienced delays on Saturday after a power outage disrupted operations at the public healthcare facility.
According to The PUNCH, the blackout affected lighting and computer-based services, leaving patients unable to access medical attention as expected.
A correspondent who visited the hospital at approximately 9:30 a.m. observed several patients waiting in poorly lit areas.
A nurse disclosed that the facility had been without electricity for more than an hour.
The power failure also affected access to patients’ medical histories, which were stored electronically.
Abuja hospital patients lament service disruption
A security guard at the hospital said workers were uncertain about the cause of the blackout or when electricity would be restored.
“There hasn’t been light for close to one hour. I can’t really speak as to when the light will be restored,” the guard said.
One patient expressed frustration after being informed that medical workers could not retrieve the necessary information from the hospital’s computer system.
“We don’t really know what is happening,” the patient said.
He explained that hospital workers had attributed the delay to the lack of electricity.
The incident raised concerns about the dependence of public healthcare facilities on electronic records without reliable backup electricity.
Maitama District Hospital, located on Aguiyi Ironsi Street, provides medical services to residents of the Federal Capital Territory.
Hospital management had not provided an official explanation for the blackout at the time of the report.
It was also unclear when full operations would resume.
