Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo, Abia State health commissioner, on Wednesday, stated that the newly constructed and inaugurated Abia Multi-Specialist Hospital in Aba is unfit for human use
The hospital was constructed by immediate former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration following the demolition of the old Aba General Hospital which was built in 1957.
The facility was opened on May 27, two days before Ikpeazu’s final day in office.
But addressing newsmen shortly after inspecting the facility on Wednesday, Okoronkwo who was recently appointed health commissioner by Governor Alex Otti, said that structural defects, poor ventilation, and unfitted equipment had made the facility unfit for human use.
The commissioner said that the facility requires structural assessment to ascertain its capability to function as a hospital in the absence of these identified lapses, which also include a lack of running water, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
Okoronkwo said, “The hospital is bad; the structure and the design approach were poorly done.
“The equipment is scattered all over the place and we cannot ascertain if they are still working or not because there is no power supply.
“It is a challenge. The idea of coming here is to look at the place to see if it is ready for use but from my assessment, it will take a while.”
Okoronkwo lamented the leaking and flooding of rooms in the hospital, mouldy walls, lack of provision for air conditioners or fans, and complicated access within the hospital which she said was dangerous.
She said that until she sees the contract papers that were prepared before the poor job, she could not determine if the government would sustain the contract or terminate it.
She said the government would meet with the contractors to know if their work meets the current government’s standard or not.
“If they meet our standard, we may consider how to incorporate that into what we intend to do but if it does not meet our standard, of course, we will discard and develop another one,” she said.
She assured the people of the state that the government had no intention to move the Aba general hospital from its place but would retain it to serve the community.
Also, Okoronkwo said “not even animals should use” Abayi Cottage Hospital in Osisioma Local Government Area.
According to her, Otti has declared a state of emergency in the health sector.
The commissioner said three hospitals from the three senatorial zones had been marked out for “revitalization” before his 100 days in office.