DELSUTH Doctors Raise Alarm Over Disruption of Critical Healthcare Services Due to Power Outage

The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH), Oghara, has raised concerns over the prolonged disruption of critical healthcare services at the state’s only teaching hospital following the failure of its step-down transformer.

The transformer failed on June 18, 2026, while a replacement was delivered to the hospital on July 12. However, the doctors said installation remains incomplete, with electricity yet to be restored from the national grid, leaving the hospital dependent on limited generator power for only a few hours daily.

According to the association, hospital management has directed that no new inpatient admissions be undertaken, while admissions into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and dialysis services remain suspended. Patients requiring admission or intensive care are instead stabilised and referred to other health facilities.

The ARD said the situation has severely affected patient care, residency training, undergraduate medical education and hospital revenue, warning that patients requiring emergency procedures such as Caesarean sections, treatment for ruptured ectopic pregnancies, severe trauma and other life-threatening conditions may not receive definitive care at the hospital.

While acknowledging the efforts of the Delta State Government in procuring the replacement transformer, the doctors called on the government, hospital management, contractors handling the installation, BEDC Electricity Plc and other stakeholders to urgently complete, energise and commission the transformer.

The association said every additional day of delay was worsening the disruption of healthcare services and imposing avoidable hardship on Deltans who depend on DELSUTH for specialist medical care.