AKWA IBOM - Six months after a world-class specialist hospital in Akwa
Ibom State was hurriedly commissioned by former Governor Godswill Akpabio who
left office May 29, has finally begun operations. The hospital, initially known as the Akwa Ibom 20th
Anniversary Hospital, is now officially called Ibom Specialist Hospital.
It can be recalled that the hospital became a subject of
controversy in September after Akpabio, travelled to the United Kingdom for
medical attention after a car accident, abandoning the multi-billion naira
facility his administration promoted as being of world class standard.
The senate minority leader, later said the hospital’s
takeoff was delayed because foreign doctors billed to work there had not been
cleared by the Nigerian Immigration Service to travel to the country, adding
that the hospital would start off with 150 expatriates at once.
It was learnt that some of the doctors are now in the state,
and have been deployed to test run equipment at the facility. About 25 foreign
doctors have so far alreday started work at the hospital while about 125 others
were still being expected in the country. It was unclear how many Nigerian doctors would be employed
at the new hospital.
It was reported that nn Wednesday, doctors, mostly Indians,
were busy carrying out medical examinations on the people who visited the
hospital for treatment.
A team of foreign doctors at the Ibom Specialist Hospital, Akwa Ibom State
An Indian cardiologist carried out blood pressure test and
cardiac echo on a reporter who was at the hospital.
"It’s a standard hospital that could be compared to any hospital anywhere in the world," the cardiologist said.
For now, medical examination is free at the Ibom Specialist
Hospital, but it was gathered that the hospital was yet to dispense drugs
because 'the pharmacy department (of the hospital) was not in proper shape.'
It is believed that the hospital may not start full services
until January next year, because of the time needed to train support staff who
will handle technical infrastructure of the hospital.
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