The people of Polobubo (Tsekelewu) community in Egbema Kingdom, Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, have raised alarm over the continued abandonment of their Cottage Hospital, linking the rising number of daily deaths to government neglect.
Polobubo is home to several major oil operations, including Chevron Nigeria Limited’s Opuekeba and Olero Fields, the NPDC/Elcrest Joint Venture’s Opuama Flow Station (OML 40), and marginal field operators such as Sahara Energy and Conoil Nigeria Limited.
Constructed at a cost of ₦596 million through a partnership between Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) and the Egbema-Gbaramatu Community Development Foundation (EGCDF) under the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU), the hospital was officially handed over to the Delta State Government in 2018. Since then, however, it has remained non-operational.
Residents of Polobubo and nearby communities continue to endure preventable illnesses, delayed diagnoses, and needless deaths. The facility lacks resident doctors, nurses, and technical staff to provide even basic healthcare services. Consequently, hundreds of lives—including those of children and pregnant women—have been lost, lives that could have been saved had the hospital been functional.
Paul Toruwei, President of the Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Bloc Communities, disclosed to GbaramatuVoice that the hospital’s dysfunction has directly resulted in countless fatalities. “Conditions that should have been easily treated have turned fatal because of the absence of prompt medical attention,” Toruwei lamented.
He further expressed disappointment, stating, “This hospital was built to serve our people. We put our trust in the government, but today, it remains a hollow shell. People are dying needlessly because the government has failed to provide the necessary manpower and resources. The loss of so many lives is heartbreaking and entirely avoidable.”
Toruwei appealed to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to urgently address the crisis by deploying qualified healthcare workers, restoring essential medical equipment, and ensuring the hospital receives adequate funding for sustained operation.
He emphasized that despite Polobubo’s significant contribution to the state and national economy through oil and gas activities, the community continues to suffer neglect in basic healthcare delivery. The community is therefore calling on the state government to revive the facility and fulfill its constitutional duty to protect citizens’ lives.
The devastating impact of the hospital’s abandonment is especially felt among women. Mrs. Christiana Abulu, a mother of six and resident of Polobubo, recounted the tragic loss of her husband due to the hospital’s failure to provide care. “My husband was sick, and we were forced to travel many miles by boat seeking help in Awoye, Ilaje, Ondo State, where he was treated by unqualified medical practitioners. This negligence led to his death. Such tragedies happen all too often. We feel abandoned and forgotten,” she said tearfully.
Similarly, Mrs. Fine Odunwon highlighted the daily struggles women face in accessing prenatal and postnatal care. “Pregnant women are the most vulnerable here. Without proper medical attention, preventable complications often result in death or permanent disability. This hospital was supposed to be our safe haven, but now it stands as a building where hope goes to die. Recently, a pregnant woman, Mrs. Ebikena Jombai, was rushed from here to Lagos. As I speak, she remains in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Lagos,” she revealed.
