Children were seen lying on bare floor and tattered mats, some receiving blood transfusions without proper hospital beds or equipment.
Patients at the General Hospital, Argungu in Kebbi State are reportedly being treated in heartbreaking and degrading conditions despite official claims that the facility was recently renovated at a staggering cost of ₦973.8million.
According to a civic technology accountability platform, Monitng, which visited the hospital on Thursday, November 7, 2025, what it found on the ground was nothing short of a humanitarian disaster.
Children were seen lying on bare floor and tattered mats, some receiving blood transfusions without proper hospital beds or equipment.
In some wards, intravenous drips were hung on rusted iron bed frames and window bars, a grim symbol of neglect in a hospital supposedly upgraded with nearly a billion naira of public funds.
The situation we met at Argungu General Hospital is pathetic and disheartening. No patient should ever have to endure such conditions,” Monitng said in a statement after the visit.
The group’s findings sharply contradict the Kebbi State government’s recent claim that it approved ₦4.05billion for the renovation and upgrading of seven general hospitals across the state — of which Argungu General Hospital was one.
But rather than showcase signs of new life or improvement, the hospital paints a picture of rot, neglect, and deception.
Parents and relatives of patients were seen sleeping on mats beside their sick loved ones, forced to share the same cramped, unhygienic wards in a desperate attempt to care for them.
The so-called renovation, witnesses say, appears to have been limited to a coat of paint and minor cosmetic fixes — while the wards remain without functional beds, clean facilities, or basic medical tools.
“A hospital that has reportedly undergone such an expensive renovation should reflect visible and meaningful improvements,” Monitng lamented. “Instead, what we saw exposes a deep failure of oversight, accountability, and compassion.”
The group has called on the Kebbi State Government, the Federal Ministry of Health, and the Kebbi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KSPHCDA) to immediately investigate how the funds were spent and ensure that the hospital is properly equipped.
Healthcare workers at the facility, who spoke anonymously out of fear of reprisals, confirmed the situation, saying the hospital’s condition has remained dire for years despite repeated government announcements of “renovations.”
“They came, took pictures, and said the place was renovated. But we still struggle every day with shortage of beds, electricity, and medical supplies,” one nurse said.
