The Kogi State House of Assembly has ordered an investigation into an alleged shortage of medical oxygen at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Kogi State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, following the death of an indigene, Engineer Hassan Musa.
The resolution was reached on Wednesday during plenary after the member representing Ankpa I State Constituency, Hon. Lawal Akus, raised the matter under a motion of urgent public importance.
Akus expressed concern over the circumstances surrounding the death of Musa, who, according to him, died on Monday, November 2, 2026, after allegedly failing to receive the emergency respiratory support required to stabilise his condition.
The lawmaker told the House that the deceased was admitted to the hospital’s Emergency Unit on Sunday, November 1, after experiencing difficulty in breathing. He was subsequently transferred to the Intensive Care Unit later that night, where he allegedly required medical oxygen to support his breathing.
Akus, however, alleged that oxygen was unavailable at the ICU at the time Musa needed it, leaving him in severe distress.
He further alleged that members of the deceased’s family made efforts to obtain oxygen from a private supplier in the Felele area of Lokoja, but were unable to secure it before his condition deteriorated. Musa subsequently died the following morning.
The lawmaker described the alleged absence of oxygen in an intensive care unit as a matter of grave concern, particularly because medical oxygen is a critical component of emergency and intensive care treatment.
He questioned the hospital’s preparedness to handle medical emergencies and called for an investigation into the management of essential medical supplies and the quality of emergency services provided at the facility.
Akus stressed that life-saving facilities such as oxygen should be readily available in government-owned hospitals, especially institutions that receive public funding and generate revenue from their operations.
Supporting the motion, the member representing Lokoja I State Constituency, Hon. Bin Ebaiya Shehu-Tijani, described the reported situation as unacceptable and urged the Assembly to establish the facts surrounding the incident.
Shehu-Tijani also recalled an earlier incident in which he and Hon. Jibril Abu reportedly encountered victims of a road accident who allegedly could not be admitted immediately because of a shortage of bed spaces.
According to him, the situation was eventually addressed following the intervention of the hospital’s Chief Medical Director.
He said such incidents required a thorough review of the hospital’s emergency response system to prevent avoidable loss of lives.
Also contributing, the member representing Ajaokuta State Constituency, Hon. Jibril Abu, said medical oxygen was an indispensable life-saving resource that should never be unavailable in a specialist hospital.
Abu called for a comprehensive investigation into the alleged oxygen shortage and other complaints about emergency services at the hospital, with a view to identifying gaps and recommending measures to improve healthcare delivery.
Ruling on the motion, the Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf, described the reported incident as unfortunate and expressed concern over allegations of negligence and the failure to provide essential medical facilities to patients.
The Speaker said the Assembly would take the matter seriously, stressing that the investigation would determine whether Musa’s death was linked to negligence, oxygen shortage, or other factors surrounding his treatment.
He directed that the probe should also cover other reported cases of poor emergency response at the hospital.
The House consequently resolved to summon the Chief Medical Director of the Kogi State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, and the Commissioner for Health before the Standing Committee on Health and Social Services.
They are expected to explain the circumstances surrounding Musa’s treatment and death and provide information on the availability and management of medical oxygen at the facility.
The committee will also examine the procurement, supply, storage, distribution, and inventory records of medical oxygen and other essential medical consumables at the hospital.
The investigation is expected to determine whether there were lapses in the hospital’s supply chain or emergency response system and recommend measures to ensure that critical patients have timely access to life-saving treatment.
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