The people of Quaan Pan Local Government Area have raised a passionate alarm over the worsening condition of the Cottage Hospital in Kwalla, describing it as a silent crisis claiming lives daily.
In a letter addressed to Plateau State Governor, His Excellency Barr. Caleb Mutfwang, the citizens expressed deep concern over the facility’s deplorable state, calling for immediate government intervention to restore healthcare services in the area.
The petition, dated October 30th, 2025, and signed by Engr. Charles David Tanko, Convener of QPDI (One Voice, One Mission), highlighted several critical issues affecting the hospital’s operations, including lack of electricity, water, and medical personnel.
“Your Excellency, the hospital operates in the dark. Doctors and nurses are forced to use torchlights to attend to patients, especially at night. Critical emergency operations cannot be performed safely, and essential life-saving equipment cannot be powered.”
The citizens lamented that the absence of electricity has led to several avoidable deaths, stressing that power supply is not a luxury for hospitals but a lifeline that determines survival during emergencies.
“In a medical environment where sanitation is paramount, the hospital has no running water. Staff and patients must fetch unhygienic water from distant sources. This challenge fundamentally compromises cleanliness, sanitation, and infection control.”
They also decried the state of the hospital’s staff quarters, describing it as uninhabitable and demotivating for healthcare workers who travel long distances daily to serve under harsh conditions.
“Our dedicated medical staff, the heroes who strive to save lives under these impossible conditions, are forced to commute long, arduous distances. The absence of suitable, functional staff quarters near the hospital discourages punctuality, drains morale, and severely hampers emergency response.”
The letter further pointed out the acute shortage of personnel and medical supplies, noting that the facility lacks drugs, consumables, doctors, and even an ambulance for emergency cases.
“The hospital critically lacks essential drugs, medical consumables, and enough qualified medical doctors and specialists. Furthermore, the absence of a functional ambulance means that emergency cases must rely on dangerous private transport, turning critical minutes into fatal delays.”
Engr. Tanko and the concerned citizens appealed to the governor to make the restoration of the hospital a legacy project that reflects his compassion and commitment to rural healthcare development.
They urged immediate government action to provide electricity, a reliable water source, renovation of staff quarters, deployment of qualified personnel, supply of essential drugs, and provision of a functional ambulance.
The people expressed optimism that Governor Mutfwang, known for his people-centered governance, would respond promptly to their call to prevent further loss of lives.
The full video documentation of the hospital’s condition was shared on YouTube to raise public awareness and draw attention to the dire state of the facility.
Source: Letter signed by Engr. Charles David Tanko, Convener, QPDI (One Voice, One Mission).
