Ebonyi To Spend N2.5bn On Model Hospitals

The Ebonyi Government said on Tuesday that it would
construct model general hospitals in the 13 Local Government Areas of the state
at a cost of N2.5 billion.

The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Sunday Nwangele,
made the announcement in Abakaliki while disbursing a N100 million grant to six
hospitals operating in rural communities in the state.

He said that bids for the award of the contracts had been
opened, adding that the project would include rehabilitation and equipping of
the hospitals with modern facilities.

On the N100 million grant to rural hospitals, Nwangele said
the goal was to bring skilled healthcare practitioners to rural areas.

“The programme will also help revamp infrastructure of the
benefiting hospitals and provide modern hospital and diagnostic equipment.

“It will also provide manpower training, promote free
maternal and child health and increase immunisation coverage to sustain the
polio-free status of the state,” he said.

Reports say  that this
brings to N1.2 billion the grants so far given out to six hospitals under the
state’s rural health programme since 2008.

The benefiting hospitals are Mater Miserecordia Hospital,
Afikpo, Sudan United Mission Hospital, Izzi and Rural Improvement Mission
Hospital, Ikwo.

Others are the Presbyterian Joint Hospital,Uburu; Saint
Vincent’s Hospital, Ndubia and Mile Four Hospital, Abakaliki.

“The strategic intervention is a public-private partnership
in line with the rural healthcare policy of Gov. Martin Elechi-led
administration,” the commissioner said.

He expressed delight over the achievements recorded through
the policy and charged the hospitals to ensure effective free maternal
healthcare to further reduce maternal and child morbidity and mortality.

Nwangele advised the benefiting hospitals to join hands with
government in the implementation of government’s health policies.

The Medical Director, Sudan United Mission Hospital, Dr
Johnson Diara, commended the State Government for the gesture which, he noted,
had assisted the hospitals to expand their services.

Each of the hospitals received between N180 million and N210
million.