Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) in Makurdi has taken the initiative to destroy expired drugs and other consumables valued at over N200 million at the Mohammadu Buhari Mother and Child Hospital. The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of BSUTH, Dr. Stephen Hwande, announced this during the destruction exercise in Makurdi, Benue State, on Friday. Additionally, the hospital is now seeking the approval of relevant authorities to dispose of more than 100 corpses that have been abandoned at the mortuary, some of which have been unclaimed for over three years.
Dr. Hwande revealed that the hospital management has written to the Commissioner of Police, Bartholomew Onyeka, notifying him of the situation and seeking his consent to proceed with the disposal. Most of the abandoned corpses were brought to the hospital by the police or soldiers from scenes of herdsmen attacks or accidents, and they have remained unclaimed since then.
“There are over 100 unclaimed corpses in the morgue. We have written to the Commissioner of Police to grant us permission to dispose of them,” Dr. Hwande said.
Regarding the expired drugs, Dr. Hwande stated, “Today, we are witnessing the destruction of expired drugs by the hospital. Two weeks ago, I was mandated by Governor Hyacinth Alia to revive and restore the dignity and confidence of this institution. Upon my arrival, I inspected the hospital stores and discovered expired drugs and consumables worth over N200 million. The quantity of drugs wasted could have been used to establish the largest pharmacy in the state.”
“It is surprising that drugs meant for the treatment of patients were left to expire. When drugs have short expiration dates, they can be transferred to other hospitals or utilized for medical outreach before their expiry. There is no justification for allowing drugs worth such a significant amount of money to go to waste in this hospital when the entire state is in dire need of medication,” he continued.
Dr. Hwande emphasized that there was no reason to privatize the pharmacy, which contained millions of naira worth of drugs, only to let them expire. He stated that he is currently in discussions with top pharmaceutical companies to supply the hospital with quality drugs, in an effort to maintain high-level service and eradicate unwholesome practices in the facility. Furthermore, he has already written off the privatized Radiology section and brought it back under hospital management.
The destroyed drugs included antibiotics, antihypertensive medications, antimalarials, as well as consumables such as iodine, bandages, and urine bags.
Dr. Hwande also shared some positive developments at the hospital, stating, “Two days ago, the hospital initiated a Mother and Child care program. We are currently operating an outpatient health insurance system, which provides free mother and child consultations for children under 5 years old and pregnant women. This program will serve as the starting point for introducing In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) services, in addition to maternity care.”
