Otti Reopens Two Specialist Hospitals, Promises Efficient Social Services

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has declared that he came to bring about an era of functional and efficient social services in the state. 

Otti expressed this resolve yesterday at the reopening of two renovated and equipped specialist hospitals in Amachara and Umuahia, adding that he would extend the same turnaround to other hospitals across the state.

In addition, the governor flagged off the expansion of the 3.5km main road entry into the capital city, off the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway into six-lane dual carriageways, and the Abia Tower to Okpara Square.

Otti said that the state of dilapidation in the two strategic health facilities located within the capital territory was negating the health care needs of the people, hence the priority he gave to their rehabilitation.

“We are determined to rehabilitate and retrofit our existing hospitals and make them serve the people,” he said.

The Abia State’s governor said that his administration “invested huge amount” not only to renovate the physical structure but also to equip the health facilities.

According to him, a healthy population is the greatest asset to have, hence “health of the people must be given priority and nothing more should take precedent.”

He stated that all the problems that hitherto prevented the health facilities from serving their purposes have been finally resolved.

To this end, he gave assurance that running water, power supply and waste management “will no longer be a problem” because they were factored into the renovation project.

Otti said that he has set in motion the process of total transformation of the healthcare system of Abia to stand the test of time.

He said: “Never again shall government abandon its obligation to cater for the healthcare of the people.

“Never again shall government’s health facilities be allowed to deteriorate so badly that they become a danger even to the health of the environment.

“Most importantly, never again shall the health sector get less than what it deserves.”

The governor pointed out that his ultimate goal was to restore all the primary, secondary and tertiary health institutions of government “to optimal functionality.”

“We want to make sure that people can be able to access healthcare services in their communities and that no resident of Abia would travel out of the state either for treatment or diagnostic services,” he said.