Cross River: More doctors needed to stop rising deaths – Lawmakers

 

The Cross River State House of Assembly has called on the state Ministry of Health to urgently employ, train, and deploy more medical professionals, especially doctors to hospitals across the state.

His appeal follows disturbing reports of increasing deaths in Obubra Local Government Area (LGA) due to a critical shortage of doctors.

During a heated session on the Assembly floor, Hon. Ovat Agbor, the member representing Obubra 1 State Constituency, painted a dire picture of the healthcare crisis in his constituency.

“The current situation in Obubra LGA is unsustainable. The General Hospital in Obubra has only one resident doctor who is overwhelmed by the patient load.

“This has led to reduced healthcare quality, long waiting times, and an increased risk of misdiagnosis. People are dying needlessly,” Agbor lamented.

He warned that the overworked doctor is at risk of burnout, which could have severe consequences for both patients and the physician.

Lawmakers across party lines echoed Agbor’s concerns, raising the alarm over the alarming mortality rate in the LGA.

They emphasized the urgent need to recruit more doctors and other healthcare professionals into state service and deploy them to public hospitals statewide.

Co-sponsors of the motion, including the House Leader, Hon. Francis Bassey Asuquo (Odukpani), Deputy Leader Rt. Hon. Davis Etta (Abi), Hon. Martins Achadu (Yala 2), and Hon. Bette Obi (Boki 2), all supported the call for immediate government action.

They urged the state government to not only prioritize hiring more doctors but also improve their pay package to retain them.