Specialist Hospital Sokoto Denies Alleged Absence of Doctors at Outpatient Department

From Bashir Rabe Mani, Sokoto

The management of Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, has dismissed reports alleging that doctors were unavailable to attend to patients at its Outpatient Department (OPD) as of 9:16 a.m., describing the claim as false and misleading.

The allegation, reportedly made by one Junaidu Abdullahi in a viral social media post, suggested that patients were left unattended due to the absence of medical doctors at the hospital.

However, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, Dr. Attahiru Isa Sokoto, said the claim did not reflect the actual situation at the facility.

In a statement, Dr. Sokoto maintained that the OPD was never without medical personnel, stressing that doctors were on duty attending to patients, handling emergencies and conducting routine ward rounds in line with established medical procedures.

He acknowledged that the hospital receives hundreds of patients daily, noting that the high patient turnout could sometimes result in minor delays in service delivery.

According to him, such delays should not be misconstrued as the absence of doctors or abandonment of patients.

The CMD also highlighted the transformation of the hospital under the administration of Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, saying the state government had invested significantly in upgrading the facility and strengthening its capacity to provide round-the-clock healthcare services.

He said the investments had resulted in the provision of essential infrastructure, renovation of dilapidated facilities and the acquisition of modern medical equipment to improve healthcare delivery.

Dr. Sokoto further disclosed that the state government had recruited additional qualified medical professionals while prioritising the training and retraining of healthcare workers both within and outside the country.

He urged members of the public to verify information before sharing it, warning that the circulation of unsubstantiated reports could create unnecessary panic and undermine the morale of dedicated healthcare workers.

The CMD reaffirmed the hospital’s commitment to protecting lives and providing efficient, quality healthcare services to residents of Sokoto State and neighbouring communities.