Patients at the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, Oyo State, have staged a protest in response to ongoing power and water shortages that are disrupting critical healthcare services.

For 17 days, the hospital has been without electricity due to disconnection by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), severely affecting diagnostic tests, surgeries, and general patient care.

The power outage, caused by UCH’s inability to meet its N80 million monthly electricity bill, has sparked public outrage, with patients and relatives calling for urgent action.

In a viral video, demonstrators expressed their frustration, warning that the hospital’s reputation is at risk. Medical experts have raised alarms over the impact of these disruptions on hygiene standards and patient safety.

The situation has been further complicated by water shortages, adding to the already dire conditions at the hospital.

As UCH management continues negotiations with IBEDC to restore power, calls for government intervention to address the systemic issues facing the nation’s top teaching hospital grow louder.