Peter Obi Recounts Disturbing Hospital Experience Shared by US-Based Nurse, Laments Nigeria’s Healthcare System

Obi

By TANKO ALI

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, on Tuesday shared a personal encounter that highlighted what he described as the deep failures in Nigeria’s healthcare system, saying the country is not poor but poorly governed.

Obi, in a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, recounted a conversation he had with a young Nigerian-American nurse during a domestic flight from Owerri to Lagos.

According to him, the encounter occurred on January 4, after he had attended events in Ughelli, Delta State, and Mgbidi, Imo State. While onboard an Air Peace flight, Obi said he sat beside a 24-year-old nursing school graduate, Chidera Ugwokeba, who was visiting Nigeria for the first time with her parents.

Obi said the young nurse expressed sadness and confusion over the state of basic public services in Nigeria, particularly healthcare. She narrated an incident involving her sister, who sustained a domestic injury and was rushed to what was described as the best government-owned hospital in the area.

Despite the urgency of the situation and visible bleeding, Obi said hospital staff allegedly refused to attend to the patient until payment was made. The family was reportedly shown other patients in critical conditions who were also left unattended due to inability to pay.

After payment was eventually made, the nurse further discovered that the hospital had only one blood-testing machine for all patients, which she said was not sterilised between uses. Obi added that when concerns were raised, hospital staff allegedly warned the family to stop asking questions if they wanted treatment to continue. Despite having paid, the family was still required to purchase all items needed for care.