Following the imposition of a 24-hour curfew in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, patients on admission at the Kafanchan General hospital have deserted the hospital.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that most patients said they were leaving the hospital for safety reasons.

A mother, Mrs Sarah Musa, said her daughter had just undergone surgery, but she had to take her home due to uncertainty over the security situation in the area.

“It is better to stay alive at home than die in the hospital where no one would attend to you,” she said.

Also, Ibrahim Addo, a petty trader told NAN that he was at the hospital to take his wife who was in labour back to his house.

“I may have to consult traditional midwives in my neighbourhood,” he said.

A staff of the hospital, who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, said relatives of patients had moved their sick ones elsewhere.

“Those of them who could walk on their own didn’t wait for any assistance, he said.

The hospital worker described the development as unfortunate and unhealthy, as most of patients would abandon their medications, thereby, compound their situations.

NAN reports that the state government had declared a 24-hour curfew in the area following clashes between locals and suspected herdsmen in which several people had died. (NAN)

•Photo courtesy of Daily Trust shows a lone patient in a deserted hospital.

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