Akwa Ibom Government has taken the fight against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic to a higher level with plans to build General Hospitals in the 10 Federal Constituencies in the state.
Inaugurating a 300-bed Isolation Centre at Methodist Hospital, Ituk Mbang in Uruan local government area on Friday, Governor Udom Emmanuel said the government would equip the hospitals with the state-of-the-art facilities.
Emmanuel, however, stated, “We have taken delivery of another batch of 35 containers of state-of-the-art medical equipment with the 2020 model of modern facilities to be distributed to health institutions across the state.”
Emmanuel remarked, “50 years from now, we will have this isolation centre as something monumental to show to our future generations about this COVID-19 pandemic which has come to ravage the world.”
At the inauguration of the centre which formed part of the activities that marking the first year of his second term in office, Emmanuel inspected ambulance vehicles.
The Governor was accompanied to the inauguration ceremony by his wife, Dr. Mrs. Martha; Mr. Moses Ekpo, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, the Secretary to the State Government; Elder Effiong Essien, the Head of Civil Service, and other stakeholders in the Akwa Ibom project.
“This is not time to collect corpses from Lagos, Port Harcourt or anywhere else for burial because you do not have the expertise. You may not know what happened to the corpse and so you may be endangering your life and that of your family,” he warned.
“To the glory of God, today is exactly one year when we were re-elected for the second term. People said we will not win the reelection. But we did not only win the reelection, we were sworn into office and we kept faith with our commitment towards the development of the people who voted for us and today we are here to commission the Isolation centre for use by our people”
The new centre, located at the General Hospital, Ituk Mbang, Uruan Local Government Area, has space for 300 beds, a doctor quarters, laboratory, and administrative offices.
Governor Udom Emmanuel, accompanied by other top officials of the Akwa Ibom state government, visited the construction site on April 20, and was said to be satisfied with the pace of work.
The project was supervised by Ephraim Inyang-eyen, the state Commissioner for Works.
The other isolation centres are located at Infectious Disease Hospital, Ikot Ekpene, and Ibom Speciality Hospital, Uyo.
Earlier in his state broadcast to the people to mark his five years administration, he had stated “In the past five years, we have poured enormous resources in ensuring that our secondary healthcare service is top-notch. From remodelling of hospitals across the ten Federal constituencies such as Etinan General Hospital, Methodist Hospital, Ituk Mbang, General Hospital, Iquita-Oron, Ikot Okoro, Ikono to the world-class isolation centres at the Ibom Specialist Hospital, the one at Ikot Ekpene and the icing on the cake – the 300-bed Isolation Centre at Ituk Mbang which will be commissioned later today, we have been able to utilize the lean resources to work for our people.
“Work is also on-going at Emmanuel Hospital, Eket, General Hospital, Ikot Abasi, Ikot Ekpene and Awa respectively,” he added.
Our world class Polymerase Claim Reaction (PCR) Laboratory where critical tests, including Covid-19 and other infectious diseases would be carried out will also be commissioned later today. We have also received our brand new ambulances, which are of the same standard and quality as those in the Western World. Most of our over 35 container loads of world class medical equipment have started arriving and would be deployed to different hospitals across the State soon.
