The inferno, which reportedly started in the early hours, caused extensive damage to key health infrastructure, including the ministry’s cold storage facility used for preserving vaccines and other temperature-sensitive medical supplies.
Sources within the ministry disclosed that the fire may have been triggered by a fault in the solar power system supplying electricity to the complex. It was gathered that the system had developed issues prior to the incident, prompting the invitation of officials from the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) to restore power.
Further information revealed that the alternative solar power supply was also faulty, while technicians responsible for its repair were unavailable before the outbreak occurred.
Briefing journalists at Block 5, Centenary City, Abakaliki, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma, lamented the magnitude of the loss, describing the incident as a major setback to healthcare delivery in the state.
He listed items destroyed in the fire to include vaccines, vaccine carriers, cold chain boxes, laptops, vital documents, five refrigerators, two solar-powered refrigerators, and about 45 solar batteries. Also lost were inverters, hospital beds, and mattresses recently supplied by the National Primary Health Care Development Authority (NPHCDA) for onward distribution to selected local government areas.
According to the commissioner, the destruction of the cold chain system poses a significant challenge to the state’s immunisation programmes, as many of the vaccines stored in the facility were rendered unusable.
Ekuma, however, assured residents that the state government is taking immediate steps to mitigate the impact of the incident and restore essential health services.
He further announced that a committee has been set up to investigate the cause of the fire and recommend measures to prevent a recurrence.
In his remarks, the Officer in Charge of Operations at the Ebonyi State Fire Service, Mr. Frank Oka Ota, said the agency received a distress call at about 5:18 a.m. and promptly mobilised personnel to the scene.
He noted that although the fire had already gained momentum before firefighters arrived, efforts were made to contain it and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the building.
No casualties were reported in the incident, but the extent of the damage has raised concerns over infrastructure safety and emergency preparedness in public health institutions across the state
