The State House and its 17 ambulances

For a clinic that caters only for the health needs of the president and the vice-president and their families, plus the staff of the State House, the addition of 10 new ambulances at a time when even the National Hospital, Abuja, regarded as the nation's topmost, has only nine, raises serious questions about the ways of government.

The State House Clinic now has 17 ambulances, perhaps the highest for any government hospital in the land, serving a number of people less than a thousand.

The 10 state-of-the-art ambulances have been idle since August 2008 when they were procured with taxpayers' money for the use of those privileged to work and live in the Presidency. The ambulances were brought in from North Carolina, United States and thereafter allocated to the small but well-equipped clinic.

While two of them are lying waste at the premises of the State House Clinic, the remaining eight are parked in front of the Banquet Hall inside the presidential villa.

"The fact is that we don't need the ambulances," an official of the clinic who does not want his name mentioned said. "It is a sheer waste. What do we need them for when we already have seven functioning ambulances? Besides, only the Presidency uses the State House Clinic and I don't think we need 17 operating ambulances."

Before the new arrivals, the hospital had as ambulances two Kia Pregio buses (SHC 25 and SHC 26), a Peugeot Expert Bus (SHC 508), a Toyota Hiace Bus (SHC 45), and a Peugeot 504 Station Wagon (SHC 41).

Two other ambulances owned by the clinic, whose registration numbers could not be ascertained at the time of writing, are permanently attached to the convoys of the President and that of his deputy.

A source in the hospital said that apart from the two in those convoys, the others are idle most of the time. "That is why some of us cannot understand the rationale behind the acquisition of 10 additional ambulances even when the ones we have are grossly under-utilised," he said. "We believe there are hospitals around the country, which do not have even a single ambulance."

Other Abuja hospitals

While the State House clinic has far more ambulances than it really needs, the only general hospital that serves the more than 300,000 people of Nyanya, one of the dirtiest and most congested suburbs of Abuja, is in dire need of a quality ambulance for effective operation.

The rundown hospital, with its ramshackle buildings, unkempt premises and decaying infrastructure, currently has a rickety white Peugeot 504 Station Wagon (CT 89-A10), which breaks down regularly during use, as its only ambulance.

NEXT on Sunday learnt that the government bought the ambulance for the hospital seven years ago. A staff of the hospital said it is in bad shape and cannot go far without breaking down.

"We have been using the vehicle since 2002 and because it is the only one we have, we have overused it," he said. "You won't believe it that it is the only ambulance serving the whole of Nyanya. The ambulance is now old and we are just managing it."

The hospital secretary, who identified himself simply as D.A. Tukura, admitted that the hospital was facing challenges. Mr. Tukura, however, refused to speak on the problems, saying only the medical director, who was unavailable at the time, was competent to grant an interview.

The National Hospital, Abuja, considered as one of Nigeria's elite hospitals, which caters for patients from all over the country, does not even have as many ambulances as the State House clinic.

The ones it has, are not as sophisticated as those in the fleet of the State House Clinic. Our investigation indicates that the hospital, which has the status of a teaching hospital, has nine ambulances comprising, two Kia Pregio buses (FG 64 W02, FG 65 W02), four Toyota Hiace buses (FG 81 W02, FG 23 W02, FG 79 W02, FG 80 W02) and three Peugeot 504 Station Wagon cars (FG 67 W02, FG 68 W02, FG 12 W02).

The last one is broken down. An official of the hospital said that given the number and calibre of patients that throng the facility daily, the nine ambulances are not enough for effective operation.

The story is similar in most government-owned hospitals in the Federal Capital Territory, including those in the heart of the city. The Garki District Hospital for instance has only one functioning ambulance, a Toyota Hiace Bus (BU 764 RBC), while another, parked in its premises, is broken down.

The District Hospital at the highbrow Maitama District of Abuja also has only one functioning ambulance, a white Toyota Bus with registration no CT 209- A10.

Pampering the State House clinic

Though the State House clinic caters for a small number of people the hospital has always enjoyed preferential treatment and huge budgetary allocations every fiscal year. In the 2007 budget for instance, out of the N14.9billion allocated to the State House, over N267million was earmarked for drugs, medical supplies and miscellaneous expenditures by the clinic.

In 2008, the figure rose sharply to about N481million, while this year will see the clinic gulping about N1billion.

It comprises N319million for the extension of the State House Clinic, N362.7million for drugs and medical supplies, N242.1million for medical equipment, N42million for the construction of access road, drainage and landscaping and N15million for record keeping and hospital management.

This amount does not include allocations for the payment of staff salary, and other recurrent and capital undertakings.

But despite the huge infusion of funds into the hospital, the clinic is perhaps not equipped enough to handle the President's health crisis holistically. Since he came to power in 2007, Mr. Yar'Adua has travelled abroad a few times to attend to his health.

"Evil Action"

The president of the Civil Rights Congress, Shehu Sani, said Nigerians should condemn Mr. Yar'Adua for procuring and holding on to ambulances he does not need. "It shows the insensitivity of our political leaders to the plight and interest of the common man. It also shows the misplaced priority and the nonchalant attitude of our leaders to their responsibilities," Mr. Sani said.

"It is disastrous and shameful that a country whose citizens and leaders travel out for medical treatment would waste such amount of money on unused ambulances, while our public hospitals are still mere consulting clinics."

"I am not surprised by the President's evil action," said Balarabe Musa, the national chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, an association of opposition parties in the country. "He is wasting public resources, which is one of the three evils undermining democracy in Nigeria.

It is unacceptable that ambulances are allowed to rot away just for the benefit of one man and his associates in a country where some publicly owned hospitals are in desperate need of such facilities, he added.

For the deputy national chairman (South) of the opposition Progressive People's Alliance, Olu Akerele, the unused ambulances "show the callousness of our leaders."

"All our leaders think about is their own comfort and safety while the masses can go to hell," Mr. Akerele said.