Locked Hospital Fails Women in Akwa Ibom State

The Renew Hope Mother and Child Hospital, a fully built facility in Oko Ita, Akwa Ibom, remains locked and idle, failing to provide essential healthcare services to women. On September 2025, Bless Okon experienced severe labor pains but found the hospital's gate locked, forcing her to seek help at a primary healthcare center in Ikot Usen, which was also unstaffed.

After waiting for nearly an hour without assistance, she returned home and relied on a traditional birth attendant, resulting in complications and heavy bleeding. Akwa Ibom State has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in Nigeria, with 774 deaths per 100,000 live births.

The hospital was commissioned months earlier to improve maternal and neonatal healthcare access but has yet to open its doors. Local leaders, including David Udofia and Akon Eyakenyi, expressed hope for the hospital's operation, which is crucial for the community's health, especially given the state's low percentage of skilled birth deliveries at 51.5%.