Burutu: Pregnant Woman, Unborn Child’s Death Sparks Outrage Over Lack of Healthcare, Basic Amenities

The death of a pregnant woman and her unborn child, after she failed to receive timely medical attention at the Burutu General Hospital, has sparked growing outrage in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, with youths and women protesting the absence of basic healthcare and other essential amenities.

The protesters, who have continued their demonstration for three days, said the deaths were a painful reminder of the worsening healthcare situation in the riverine community, where they alleged that patients were often left without adequate doctors, drugs and medical equipment.

Armed with placards with inscriptions such as, “We need doctors!”, the women and youths accused the authorities of abandoning the government-owned hospital and leaving residents vulnerable to preventable deaths.

In a video seen on Facebook, a woman, surrounded by angry protesters, decried the death of the pregnant woman and her unborn child, claiming that children and other residents were also dying because there were inadequate medical personnel to attend to patients.

The protesters also decried poor electricity supply and other basic amenities, saying residents of Burutu continued to suffer despite the community's importance to Nigeria's oil industry.

As the protest intensified on Wednesday, youths reportedly dragged ashore a boat said to belong to the Council Chairman, Julius Takeme.

The protesters have appealed to the Delta State Government and relevant authorities to urgently address the shortage of doctors, drugs and medical equipment at the General Hospital, as well as the poor electricity supply and other infrastructure challenges.

Burutu, a predominantly riverine local government area, hosts the Trans-Forcados Pipeline, a major oil trunkline serving several onshore fields in the Niger Delta.