Dare Babalola
Senator Neda Imasuen, representing Edo South, has lamented the deplorable state of facilities at the temporary National Obstetrics Fistula Centre in Ugbor, Benin.
In a statement on Saturday by his media aide, Moshood Karim, Imasuen also condemned the slow pace of development at the permanent site. He noted that urgent federal intervention is needed to rescue the institution.
The lawmaker, who is also a member of the Senate Committee on Health, visited the centre on Friday as part of the committee’s oversight function to assess progress since the establishment of the hospital and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal and State governments last year.
Imasuen said that what he found at the centre fell short of expectations for a specialised national health institution dedicated to treating obstetric fistula.
Senator Imasuen described the condition of both the temporary facility and the stalled development of the permanent site as deeply troubling, noting that little or no meaningful work had been done on the permanent location.
He said, “This is the National Fistula Hospital in Benin. There are only four of them in the country, and they provide critical services for our women. What I have seen so far is not encouraging and I have to express my dissatisfaction. We are supposed to have a permanent site, and as you can see, nothing looks like it.”
He explained that the current facility in Ugbor is a converted Primary Health Care centre that is grossly inadequate for the Centre’s mandate, lacking basic furnishing, proper lighting, and reliable power supply.
He added, “They depend on just one generator that runs round the clock. Staff are not properly housed in offices, and the challenges are many.”
Despite the constraints, Senator Imasuen noted that the centre carried out a number of fistula surgeries last year and has continued surgeries this year. He said this could rise significantly if the centre receives adequate support.
He pledged to raise the matter on the floor of the Senate and within the Committee on Health, particularly during deliberations on the 2026 budget, with a view to securing improved funding and accelerating work on the permanent site.
“With the 2026 budgetary allocations, we hope to at least move the knot a little further. This situation needs to be brought to the attention of the appropriate authorities so real development can begin here,” he said.
He also questioned why an institution of such national importance was established without a take-off grant to ensure smooth operations from inception.
Earlier, the Medical Director of NOFIC, Professor Ileogben Sunday-Adeoye (MON), appealed to the lawmaker to convey the centre’s pressing needs to the Senate. He stressed the need for improved staff welfare, including the provision of vehicles to transport staff to work.
While commending Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, for providing land for the permanent site, the Medical Director highlighted the urgent need to erect a perimeter fence to prevent land grabbers from encroaching.
