Out patients who are asked to get samples of their stools and urine for laboratory tests at Maitama General Hospital have complained about the unhygienic state of the hospital's toilets, which are located close to the mortuary.

The toilet is littered with faeces that have been left for months without washing.

A hospital source told our reporter that in the past, a staff took it upon himself to clean the place and was collecting money from people going in to ease themselves.

"At that time, the toilets were cleaned on a daily basis but after the hospital authority stopped the man, it has been difficult to maintain the place and it seems the hospital authority is not concerned," the source said.

Our reporters also learnt that patients inside wards located in the first floor suffer water shortages as the taps do not run and their relatives have to assist them to fetch water from downstairs whenever they want to ease themselves.

A patient's relative said it is very difficult for patients who have no relative with them as they have to do things for themselves.

The relative alleged that a female patient, who slumped on the ground, was immediately rescued by relatives of people around, while nurses in the place refused to go near her.

"In this hospital, the doctors are very nice but the behaviours of most nurses are bad and the hospital must do something about this," the relative said.

At one of the female wards during the weekend, our reporters noticed the unkempt state of the place as dustbins were filled and offensive odours emitting from the place.

When confronted with the allegation of dirtiness, the hospital Director, Dr. Francis E. Aluh declined to speak on the issue and directed our reporter to the hospital's secretary, Mrs. Lamishi Iyorka.

The secretary blamed the dirty state of the public toilet to lack of adequate water supply in the hospital.

"The pumping machine has mechanical fault and recently some floors don't have water, which makes patients' to defecate on the floor," she stated.

The secretary also disclosed that cleaners in the hospital's services find it difficult to clean the toilets without water.

According to her, the hospital is not totally out of water and compliments its water supply some times.

She said the stink from the public toilets does not affect people coming to asses the mortuary and the excreta littered on the floor in the public toilet near the mortuary does not stink to the level of the corpses.

On the issue of rude nurses at weekends, the hospital's secretary said such complain exists and have been investigated before internal measures are taken.

Also speaking on the issue, a senior nurse who pleaded anonymity complained of inadequate manpower and poor staff strength during weekend shifts.

"We have only one doctor to cover the whole weekend with two nurses and how does anyone think that he/she would be given 100 percent attention? The nurse wondered.

She said patients have high expectations and when full attention is not given to them, they term it as rudeness.

Another nurse said patients like attacking nurses and if the nurse uses high pitch voice, the patients complain they are rude.

She also disclosed that pregnant women do not take their ante natal instructions seriously at advance stages of labour and come to the hospital empty handed, expecting miracles to happen, adding that nurses don't such situations stressful.

A nurse in the hospital advised that trainings should be giving to the public on how to approach as well as their attitudes towards nurses.

At the FCT Health Management Board and Human Services Secretariat, Mrs Asika, head nursing unit, said the allegations will be looked into as soon as possible and proper measures taken.

She said it is unfair for any nurse to behave rudely to a patient, adding that some nurses are not as bad as portrayed.

On the allegation of poor manpower, the head FCT nurse services debunked it and said hospitals manpower in FC T has recently improved tremendously.