Five months after signing a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with Akwa Ibom State Government for the management of Ibom Specialist Hospital, Uyo, the Canada-based Clinotech Group is yet to commence operations due to dearth of electric power supply in the hospital, Straightnews has gathered.
The group and the state government signed the MoU on May 1, 2018 based on the group’s “technical capacity, hospital management experience and competencies as well as financial implications” to run the multi-billion naira hospital after the departure of the private managers – Cardiocare Medical Services Ltd- owing to unresolved issues bordering on funding by the state government.
The hospital, shut down in September 2017 after its private managers terminated their contract with the state government and withdrew from the facility two years after it was built and inaugurated by the administration of former governor Godswill Akpabio, was run by expatriates mostly Indians.
Dr. Harrison Ofiyai, the President/CEO of the Clinotech Group-Canada, told Mr. Akan Okon, the state Commissioner for Special Duties and Aviation Development that they were almost getting set to move in but were stalled by power and generating set challenge.
Straightnews learnt from a reliable source that the hospital could not get its electric power from the power company since it was not connected to the national grid.
Ofiyai who is also the leader of the team leading other group members on a courtesy visit to the commissioner on Monday, said they came to the state with expert surgeons and engineers to fix the hospital to meet contemporary world standards.
While thanking the commissioner for his pledge to promptly intervene in providing a solution their problem to enable them to commence work in the hospital, the president said the agreement between the consortium and the government would last for 15 years.
Dr. Safiye Ziyalon, another speaker, lauded the Akwa Ibom State government for the peace and security in the state and for guaranteeing unhindered operations since their arrival.
The Commissioner lauded Governor Emmanuel for his timely intervention, despite the economic situation in the country to ensure that the hospital is functioning and for scouting for core investors with the capacity and finance to get the hospital running thus salvaging it from abandonment after huge sums of tax payers’ money had been sung into the project
Okon assured the group of the ministry’s maximum support to enable them to achieve their desired goals and objectives.
He told the investors that the Akwa Ibom government has good knowledge of what private sector business entails as such had already put in place enabling infrastructures and an enabling environment to ensure their success.
In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES in October 2017, Dominic Ukpong, Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Health admitted that there was a disagreement between the state government and Cardiocare Ltd over the funding of the Ibom Specialist Hospital, accusing Cardiocare of poor management of the facility.
Ukpong, a medical doctor, stated that “Their excuses have been that government didn’t meet its own part of the obligation. But I am a witness to the huge amount of money the government has given to the service provider to run the hospital. And we haven’t had much to show for it,” the health commissioner said.
The commissioner announced that the money was released at various times for the running of the hospital, besides the $5 million start-off fund the state government gave to Cardiocare Ltd.
Mr. Ukpong said: “Apart from the fact that the state government was giving diesel free to their quarters, I remember that at some point the state government gave N250 million to them (Cardiocare), at their request, which they said they wanted to use to pay salaries.
