In The Beginning:
The Qua Iboe Church Leprosy Hospital, Ekpene Obom in Etinan Local Government Area was established by The Qua Iboe Church Mission in 1932 as a Leprosy Settlement before it eventually evolved into a full-fledged hospital.
Over the years, the health facility has served as a referral hospital for the 31 local government areas in Akwa Ibom and the neighbouring states, especially in the treatment of Leprosy, Tropical Ulcers, and other Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Before now, this specialist hospital was administered by a tripartite arrangement between The Qua Iboe Church Nigeria – QICN, the Akwa Ibom State government and The Leprosy Mission –TLM.
The Mission of its founding fathers was to provide a wholistic care for patients and communities affected by leprosy and other diseases in order to uphold human dignity. True to this mission, records available indicates that over 15,000 leprosy patients have been treated and discharged symptoms free from the hospital between when it was established and now.
A time it was that this facility could boast of over six medical doctors, 28 nurses and several auxiliary nurses as its staff strength.
In the area of facilities, the following were opened to the general public; The Out Patient Department, Theatre, X-ray Unit, a well-stocked Pharmacy, the Limb Unit, the students’ hostels, which accommodated over 30 medical students from the teaching hospitals in Calabar and Uyo.
These students from available records, visited the hospital periodically for experience in Public Health Medicine, and most especially treatments related to leprosy and tuberculosis.
Of these facilities, perhaps the most important was the rehabilitation department which was unique for its wide range of welfare services to the leprosy patients on admission, as inmates in the hospital, and after they have been discharged home.
Indeed, the story of the Ekpene Obom Leprosy Hospital was that of hope as the health facility was seen by all as a symbol of love and sacrifice.
It was a place of God’s Love at work for humanity.
Hospital Facility, Now a Ghost of its former self.
Despite the series of interventions by past administrations, the Ekpene Obom Leprosy hospital seems to have lost its former glory especially in the areas of patronage and rehabilitation activities undertaken in the hospital.
A recent visit to the health facility by The Pioneer presented nothing but a sorry picture as the entire hospital environment was deserted except for the presence of the Medical Superintendent, Dr Charles Uko Ekanem; the secretary of the hospital management committee, Elder Enanidem Udo and some inmates of the hospital who were spotted by in their various hostels.
While the hospital itself looked neat, clean, and well kept, especially where patients are attended to, other areas of the hospital facility were overtaken by wild grasses. Given the size of the grounds, and the hecters of land occupied by the hospital, one can see the enormous burden in keeping the hospital clear of reptiles and rodents.
Most unused departments have seen neglect in equipment and renovation, as patronage dwindles.
Apart from few blocks that are still wearing new paintings as a result of government’s recent intervention, majority of the buildings within the hospital environment, together with the hostels are in dire need for a face lift even as they wallow in lack as regards basic facilities such as portable water, modern toilet, painting and a lot more.
Members of some of the hospital’s host communities were also seen harvesting palm fruits from some of the numerous palm trees that are within the hospital environment.
The “Lepers” Growing In population?
From available records, the number of lepers resident in the Leprosy Hospital is between 120 and 150.
This population as manageable as it seems, is nothing compared to the growing number of decendants who come and go at will, with some currently living in the hospital. Some of these kids are sponsored into schools within and outside the community. Some are sponsored in higher institutions of learning by the hospital.
Investigations by The Pioneer revealed that initial lepers, who were treated, discharged and empowered by the hospital, found their way back to the hospital because of their inability to be reintegrated into their communities due to stigmatization and isolation.
To these set of persons, the only place they can call their home is the hospital and most of them come with their children and spouses.
According to the Medical Superintendent, Dr Charles Ekanem, the population of inmates in the hospital is less compared to the number of their dependants who are living within the hospital. Of recent efforts have been made to forcefully send home those treated, and are free of the bacteria.
“Don’t forget that those ones who came in initially as lepers, also came along with them their spouses and their children. They all stayed in the hospital and didn’t go back to their villages.
“So we are faced with the responsibility of taking care of the inmates, their spouses and their children. Some of them with grand children,” Ekanem disclosed adding that to some of these kids, and adulecents, are recruited into cultism, and come back to haunt the inmates
Attacks on the Hospital, its Facilities And Personnel.
The Ekpene Obom leprosy hospital has witnessed pockets of attacks especially in the last 10 years. Anytime these attacks occur, accusing fingers point at some hoodlums believed to be members of some of the hospital’s host community.
These attacks from available records are always targeted at the hospital’s facilities, the palm trees, and the health personnel; an ugly development that has cost the health facility a lot, both interns of cash and human resources.
In one of such attacks, findings has it that the hoodlums invaded the hospital premises in the night; shooting sporadically in the air, slaughtered goats belonging to the resident staff and inmates; cart away their chickens, beat up the staff that were on duty as well as made away with valuables belonging to the hospital.
In May 2022 when the hospital witnessed yet another such attack, The Pioneer gathered that a village head of one of the four host communities vowed that the attacks on the hospital will not stop except the hospital pays them the sum of N30 million which he claimed the hospital was owing the host community. That any effort to stop it will lead to blood shed.
Checks by our reporter revealed that both the Etinan traditional rulers council, the Divisional Police Officer in Etinan and the police in Ikot Akpan Abia are well aware of the above incident as many suspects were arrested, when the incident occurred.
The Lepers Lament
With the present state of the Leprosy Hospital, inmates who are resident there said they are now living at the mercy of the state government, corporate organizations and public spirited individuals who visit the hospital from time to time to donate foodstuffs, cash and clothing’s to enable them have a sense of belonging in the society.
The leader of a group known as Integration, Dignity and Economic Empowerment – IDEA, an umbrella organization for all inmates, ObongEmem Timothy Itam who spoke with The Pioneer in tears, lamented the withdrawal of the Leprosy Mission, TLM from providing for the basic needs of the inmates in the hospital.
“TLM was the organisation that used to help us in feeding, clothing and the provision of education for our children but for about eight years now, our fate is in the hands of private, public spirited individuals and donors. If they don’t come, we do not eat,” Chief Itam stated.
Itam who is the vice president of IDEA in Nigeria, prayed the state government to come to the aid of the hospital by providing parameter fencing, suitable accommodation for the inmates as well as link the facilities in the hospital to the national grid.
Itam who spoke in conjunction with the women leader representing the inmates in the hospital, Grace Okon Ebong also made a case for the provision of electricity, good internal road network within the hospital environment, as well as mobility for the inmates to aid their movement.
Medical Superintendent on his knees.
The medical superintendent, Dr Ekanem who took The Pioneer round the hospital facility admitted that, but not for the various interventions by the state government and some corporate organizations, the Leprosy Hospital would have been a foregone alternative.
Ekanam who gave kudos to the village heads of some of the hospital’s host communities for their sustained support and cooperation, sued for lasting peace, for normalcy and full operation to return to the health facility adding that no development can take place in the hospital nor its host communities when there is no peace.
The medical superintendent who was posted to the mission hospital in 2021 also called on the state government to take over the hospital from the Q.I.C Mission if the facility is to function at its optimal level; stressing that a health facility in the magnitude of the Leprosy Hospital was too vast to be vested in the hands of only the church.
“Without mincing words, my take is for the state government to take over the running of this hospital. This will benefit the host communities, the hospital itself and Akwa Ibom people the more,” Ekanem stated. He also acknowledged the rich potential of the hospital host communities for agrarian activities, especially palm produce.
In the mean time, the Medical Superintendent urged government to make available special subvention, or grant to enable the hospital pay its mission staff as well as train more auxiliary staff, to take over from the weak ones, adding that if a transformer is provided for better electricity supply within the hospital environment, the revenue of the hospital will improve and the inmates will enjoy the health services.
Ekanem who applauded donors for their efforts at sustaining the hospital noted that the health facility needs security of lives and properties if the confidence of both the health personnel and those who patronize the facility, is to be restored for full life to return to the Ekpene Obom Leprosy Hospital.
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