Patients on admission at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) and visitors alike are now groaning over repeated attacks by mosquitoes and termites which feed fat on them while in the hospital.
Investigations show that many, who spend long hours in the hospital, especially in the night hours, risk ailments sequel to mosquito and termite bites.
Some patients and visitors, who spoke to The Tide, yesterday, said the hospital needed urgent attention to avert a degeneration of the situation to serious health crisis.
The Tide reports that in almost all the departments and units, the situation is also the same.
But when this correspondent visited the hospital, it was noticed that power supply was an added necessity.
Nurses at the male surgical ward were seen at night using rechargeable torchlight to attend to patients.
When one of the nurses was asked why the place was in darkness, she said “Oga, go inside, and find out from the management”.
Investigations revealed that on the walls in every part of the hospital, smears of blood were common features.
It was discovered that from the Orthopaedic Ward to the Endoscopy and Labour wards, the story was the same.
The same situation was noticeable at the Urology, Ante-Natal, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and other wards visited, including the reception of the hospital and areas around the Chief Medical Director’s Office.
An adolescent whose daughter was admitted at the Orthopaedic Ward expressed happiness that his daughter had been discharged as they would escape further mosquito invasion.
“You come to the hospital with a particular ailment, and the mosquitoes add malaria to it, and make your treatment complicated,” he said.
His daughter was also happy about her discharge due to the battle against mosquitoes and termites.
He also stressed that inmates of the wards were good customers to hawkers of electric bats used in trapping and burning mosquitoes and termites, with some buying up to three.
The Tide gathered that each bat sells for N2,500.
A middle-aged woman and her visiting relations and friends described the experience as a “fight to the finish”.
She felt sorry that her fractured leg was yet to be operated upon after a week on admission, but showed strong readiness to face the invading parasites.
An inmate at the Urology Ward said no patient could survive it against mosquitoes’ invasion without procuring the electric bats, a Chinese product.
His sibling, who gave his name as Eugene, displayed the thick stockings covering her feet.
He said all precaution had to be considered to beat the mosquitoes and termites to the game.

Bethel Toby