Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has urged indigenes of Nkporo and Ohafia LGA of the state to leverage on the establishment of the newly established modern hospital in Nkporo to provide medical services to their people, even as he announced a donation of N1million every month for the sustenance of the hospital.
The Cottage hospital the governor, commissioned on Friday, was equipped with the state-of-the-art equipment and aimed, according to government officials to provide adequate secondary healthcare for the people at the grassroots.
Performing the commissioning the hospital as part of the governor’s ‘Kinetic Abia’ Project Inspection and Commissioning, Ikpeazu said the facility is fully equipped with mother & care facilities, radiant warmers, ultra sound machines, incubators, a modern theatre that can undertake orthopedic surgeries, laboratory facilities and 24 hours solar power.
He promised to commence the building of staff quarters and donate ambulance for the facility as well as absorb the staff into the State Hospital Management Board (HMB) and retain them in the hospital.
Earlier, the Deputy Governor, Rt Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu, who is an indigene of the benefiting community said the Governor has changed the narrative in healthcare in Nkporo. He said his people are full of joy for the giant strides of the governor in his community. He saluted the Governor for ensuring that the medical facilities in the hospital are comparable to what is obtainable in modern hospitals and assured that they will own the hospital and protect it.
The Member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, Honorable Uko Nkole and Member, representing Ohafia North at the State House of Assembly, Hon. Mandela Obasi lauded the governor for his efforts in remembering those in the rural areas by building the facility.
Speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Joe Osuji informed that the hospital has all that is needed for a hospital to function effectively including all the departments and trained personnel to manage it, pointing out that the hospital would give the people affordable and accessible healthcare and charged the community authorities to take the facility as their own and secure it
Osuji explained that the governor was providing an ultra modern pediatric hospital, Mother & Child Healthcare Centre and is renovating Schools of Nursing in the State, including the recent award of contract for the construction of 100 bed building project in the School of Midwifery, Amachara, Umuahia.
He added the efforts of the governor in the healthcare is a sign that health centre delivery in the state will get a boost
In their speeches, the Chairman of Ohafia LGA, Dr. Okoroafor Ukiwe and the President, Nkporo Development Union, Chief Benjamin Imeri thanked the governor for many projects done for the Nkporo community including changing their stories of bad road networks to good road complex.
They equally appreciated the Abia chief executive for commissioning their road as well as training their youths in different skills; aimed at contributing to the development of the state and the provision of a good hospital.
They assured that the people would protect the facility.
All the chairmen of the local government areas in Abia North also spoke at the event and hailed the Governor for his people oriented activities.
Uche Nwosu is a two time Shell Petroleum PLC award winner in the year 2000;
He won the Shell Award on Investigative Journalism and Environmental Cleanliness.
