The Irony of Statues in Hospitals Without Doctors: Edo’s Misplaced Priorities

By Dr. Michael Omoruyi | iNewsAfrica

When you walk into a newly constructed hospital complex, your expectation is simple: the hum of medical equipment, the soft chatter of nurses, and the quiet assurance that life-saving care is within reach. Yet, in parts of Edo State, Nigeria, the reality is a haunting paradox — gleaming hospital buildings adorned with grand human statues, but eerily silent wards without doctors, nurses, or basic diagnostic tools.

Symbolism Over Substance

Nigeria has long been trapped in the politics of symbolism — the idea that a photo-worthy structure is more valuable than a functional system. In Edo State, this habit has reached a crescendo. The state government’s investment in aesthetic monuments at hospital entrances, complete with human statues and manicured lawns, would have been commendable if the hospitals themselves were equipped to save lives.

What purpose do statues serve in a facility where patients bring their own cotton wool, syringes, or even fuel to run a generator? These ornamental projects may please visiting dignitaries and make for fine ribbon-cutting ceremonies, but they do little to ease the suffering of citizens who die daily from preventable illnesses.

Healthcare Is Not Art — It’s Infrastructure

A hospital is not a museum. Its value lies not in what it looks like, but in what it can do. A modern medical facility without basic diagnostic equipment — MRI scanners, defibrillators, oxygen concentrators, and blood banks — is nothing more than a hollow edifice. In a state where maternal mortality remains high and rural clinics are understaffed, the obsession with statues and marble entrances is an insult to public intelligence.

The irony deepens when one considers that the funds used to erect these statues could have purchased critical equipment or financed training programs for medical personnel. A fraction of that cost could ensure that no woman bleeds to death in childbirth, no child dies from malaria due to lack of laboratory testing, and no accident victim gasps for breath because oxygen cylinders are empty.

A Call for Fiscal Sanity

Public health is not a place for vanity projects. It demands fiscal discipline, empathy, and foresight. Edo’s leaders — and indeed all Nigerian policymakers — must rethink what progress looks like. True development in healthcare is measured by outcomes, not optics. It is about whether a rural mother can access safe delivery, whether a diabetic patient can get insulin, and whether a trauma victim can find an ambulance that actually works.

Instead of erecting statues of anonymous figures, the state could honor its citizens more meaningfully — by saving their lives. Let the legacy of leadership be measured not in concrete and bronze, but in compassion and competence.

The Path Forward

Redirecting resources toward medical equipment, human personnel, and maintenance will not only save lives but restore public trust. Edo can still transform its health sector by:

• Equipping all primary and secondary health centers with essential diagnostic tools.

• Recruiting and retaining qualified medical professionals through fair wages and housing incentives.

• Investing in digital health systems to improve patient management and remote diagnosis.

• Engaging community participation in health facility monitoring to ensure accountability.

A hospital without equipment is a symbol of neglect. A statue without purpose is a mockery of the people’s pain. It is time for Edo to replace artful illusions with actionable investment — because no sculpture has ever cured malaria, delivered a baby, or saved a life.

About the Author

Dr. Michael Omoruyi is a technology executive, author, and social commentator based in New York. He is the founder of iNewsAfrica, a digital platform amplifying African voices and diaspora perspectives. With over two decades in IT and higher education, Dr. Omoruyi advocates for innovation, accountability, and ethical transformation across Africa’s governance, technology, and health sectors. He is also the author of From Grit to Grace: A Memoir of Roots, Resilience, and Reinvention.

Dr. Omoruyi’s memoir launches across Amazon and other bookstores Worldwide – October 21, 2025

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