A viral image circulating on social media purportedly showing a patient receiving intravenous fluids in the back of an open vehicle has been shared as evidence of Nigeria's failing healthcare system. However, a fact-check by PREMIUM TIMES reveals that the image was actually taken in Ghana, not Nigeria, and the claim is misleading.
The Viral Image and Its Spread
On 21 May 2026, an X user named @__Sharyf posted an image depicting a patient lying in an open vehicle at night, with a health worker holding a drip. The caption read: 'When we talk about systemic failures, this is what we mean.' The post quickly went viral, garnering over two million views, 10,000 reposts, and 400 comments as of 29 May 2026.
Many social media users linked the image to Nigeria's healthcare challenges. One user wrote, 'There are no ambulances to take you to the hospital, but there are buses to take you to Tinubu’s election campaign grounds.' Another commented, 'This is just a tip from the well of system failure in the healthcare system, especially in my country, Nigeria.' The image also appeared on Reddit and Facebook, often accompanied by similar narratives blaming the Nigerian government.
Verification Process
To verify the claim, PREMIUM TIMES conducted a reverse image search. The search traced the image to an earlier version posted on 20 May 2026 by a Ghanaian blogger, @SIKAOFFICIAL1. The blogger credited the image to Stephen Opoku Awudu and stated that it showed health workers at Fame Health Centre in Tatindo, a rural community in the Tatale-Sanguli District of the Northern Region of Ghana. According to the post, the patient was being transported in a tricycle due to the lack of ambulance services.
PREMIUM TIMES contacted Mr Awudu, who confirmed the authenticity of the photos. He said, 'A staff of that facility sent it to me. They wanted me to add my voice to it so they could get an ambulance. But the photos are authentic.' He identified the health worker in the image as Ruth, who first shared the photo on her Facebook page on 19 May 2026.
Ruth Amponah, the health worker, explained in her Facebook post that the facility lacked ambulance services, forcing staff to transport emergency patients in open vehicles at night. She wrote, 'At FAME Health Centre Tatindo, referring clients with complications has always been a challenge. We have no ambulance. When patients arrive in critical condition, we are forced to transport them in open pickup trucks or tricycle beds at night, with nurses manually holding IV drips on the way.'
Confirmation from Original Poster
PREMIUM TIMES also contacted @__Sharyf, the X user who originally shared the image among Nigerian audiences. He confirmed via direct message, 'It happened in Ghana.' Additionally, a Google Maps search revealed a health facility listed as FAME Clinic in Tobali Tatindo, Tatale, Ghana, corroborating the location.
Conclusion
Contrary to the viral narrative, the image in question was taken in Ghana, not Nigeria. The claim that it represents Nigeria's healthcare system is misleading. This fact-check was produced under the 2026 Kwame Karikari Fact-checking and OSINT Fellowship, co-hosted by DUBAWA and the Digital Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and Information Disorder Analysis Centre (DAIDAC), with support from the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).
