••• “We Sleep Outside Like Stray Animals” – Families Cry Out
By Our Roving Reporter
A visit to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo, has exposed the plight of relatives of patients who are forced to endure degrading conditions while keeping vigil for their sick loved ones.
Our correspondent observed dozens of family members scattered around the hospital premises with no shelter provided for them. Many lay on bare verandas, huddled in corridors, or stretched out under trees — braving scorching heat in the daytime and the biting cold at night.
“We are treated like we don’t matter,” said Mrs. Taye Adeyemi, whose husband is on admission. “There is no shelter for us, no facilities. We sleep on the floor, outside, sometimes in the rain. This is demoralizing.”
Beyond shelter, relatives face the absence of convenience facilities. The few toilets available are strictly reserved for patients, leaving caregivers stranded. “We are left to sort ourselves out. Imagine staying here for days with nowhere decent to ease yourself,” lamented Mr. Sikiru Oladipo, a relative who has been at the hospital for nearly a week.
To make matters worse, the hospital struggles with water supply, compounding the hardship. Caregivers say they are forced to buy sachet water for drinking and for basic hygiene. “The little water available is for the patients. We fetch or buy water outside. It is shameful that a federal hospital cannot provide this basic need,” said another relative.
Observers argue that this neglect undermines the healing process itself. “Healthcare is not just about doctors, nurses and patients,” noted Mrs. Bosede Olorunfemi, whose daughter is on admission. “We, the relatives, are part of the recovery system. If we are demoralized like this, how can we support our patients?”
FMC Owo is widely regarded as a referral centre and lifeline for many across Ondo State and beyond. But the image of relatives sleeping rough, denied convenience facilities, and battling water scarcity, threatens to tarnish its reputation.
“This hospital cares for the sick inside, but outside, we are abandoned,” another relative fumed. “Compassion demands that something be done.”
Stakeholders are now urging urgent intervention to provide modest shelters, potable water, and convenience facilities for patient relatives. They insist it is not too much to ask — it is the bare minimum of human dignity.
Efforts to reach the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Adeagbo Ahmed, proved abortive as he neither responded to WhatsApp messages nor answered phone calls.
