Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, has assured that the Abia State Specialist Hospital Umunnato Alayi will be delivered in record time.
Governor Otti gave the assurance while performing the foundation laying ceremony for the construction of the 100-bed hospital at Alayi in Bende Local Government Area of the state, according to a statement issued on Friday by Ferdinand Ekeoma, the special adviser on media and publicity to the governor.
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The landmark healthcare initiative is expected to further reposition the state as a sure destination for quality medical services and advanced healthcare delivery.
Speaking during the foundation laying ceremony, which is part of the activities marking his third year anniversary, Mr Otti directed the contractor to complete the project within one year so that it would begin to serve the people’s health needs.
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The governor assured Ndi-Umunnato Bende and the entire Abia North that the hospital would be delivered within record time, in line with his administration’s commitment to ensuring the completion and commissioning of every project initiated by his administration.
He explained that the decision to demolish and rebuild the age-long facility became necessary after experts advised that rehabilitating the dilapidated structures would not deliver the desired result.
“Anywhere we flag off a project, it means it will be commissioned, and it will be commissioned in record time.
“When we came to have a look at this place, it was a general hospital. We thought about revamping it, but we found there was no need to do so.
“Because those who understand construction sometimes are better off pulling down a dilapidated structure like we did at the Government House in Umuahia. And we are rebuilding both the governor’s office and the governor’s residence.
“We found that it was cheaper to do that than to try and fix something that you probably wouldn’t even get exactly what you require,” Mr Otti stated.
The governor expressed optimism that the hospital would be ready for commissioning during activities marking his administration’s fourth anniversary.
The governor in an effort to ensure that the project complies with specifications and delivery timeline announced the constitution of a four-man supervisory team comprising the member representing Bende North State Constituency, Nnamdi Ibekwe, his special adviser on media and publicity, Mr Ekeoma, House of Representatives hopeful for Bende Federal Constituency, Chima Anyaso and the Deputy Mayor of Bende LGA, Ngozi Anya.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche said that the 100-bed project, when completed, would include theatres, accident and emergency units, general outpatient departments, maternity wards, dental units, and radiology departments.
He stated that the foundation laying ceremony for the specialist hospital fulfills the governor’s promise that each senatorial district in the state would have a tertiary healthcare facility serving as a referral centre for specialised medical cases.
The Commissioner noted that while the Abia State University Teaching Hospital would serve Abia South Senatorial District, the Amachara Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre would cater for Abia Central, while the Umunnato facility would serve Abia North. He noted that the abandoned Umunnato General Hospital, established in 1962, had deteriorated badly after decades of neglect.
The commissioner disclosed that consultants working to secure Joint Commission International certification, regarded globally as one of the highest standards in hospital accreditation, had already commenced work on the project under the governor’s directives.
