FIRE GUTS EBONYI HEALTH FACILITY, DESTROYS ₦100M WORTH OF VACCINES AND EQUIPMENT

A devastating fire has destroyed a major health cold storage facility in Ebonyi State, wiping out vaccines and medical equipment valued at over ₦100 million.

The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Friday, affected a cold store housing critical immunisation supplies and solar-powered infrastructure provided by the National Primary Health Care Development Authority (NPHCDA).

State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma, confirmed that the blaze consumed a wide range of essential items, including vaccines, cold chain boxes, refrigerators, solar batteries, inverters, and medical consumables meant for distribution to local government areas.

Among the destroyed supplies were vital vaccines such as BCG, pentavalent, and HPV, raising concerns about potential disruptions to immunisation programmes across the state.

Despite the scale of the damage, authorities confirmed that no lives were lost. Emergency responders, including the state fire service, were able to contain the blaze after receiving a distress call in the early morning hours.

Officials say the exact cause of the fire remains unknown, although preliminary accounts indicate that the facility had experienced power challenges, with no public electricity supply for several days and reported issues with its solar backup system.

The incident represents a major setback for public health logistics in Ebonyi, particularly as the destroyed supplies were scheduled for imminent distribution, potentially affecting immunisation coverage and healthcare delivery in the short term.