Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has commissioned the newly retrofitted Government Cottage Hospital in Umuihie, Okporoahaba, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area.
Governor Otti had earlier also commissioned the Umuikama–Okpuala Nvosi Road and the Umunkpeyi–Okpokiri–Umuehim Road projects in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area.
The commissioning formed part of activities marking the third anniversary of the Otti led administration.
Speaking during the ceremony, Governor Otti reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to making healthcare delivery a major priority.
The governor emphasized that his government remains committed to strengthening healthcare infrastructure across the state and improving access to quality medical services for residents.
He urged members of the Umuihie community, the wider Okporoahaba autonomous community and other stakeholders to take ownership of the facility and protect it against vandalism.
Governor Otti also noted that Abia had recently been adjudged the most prepared state in Nigeria in terms of health emergency readiness by SBM Health Preparedness Index (HPI), which assesses how prepared Nigerian states are to respond to health emergencies and deliver healthcare services.
According to him, the achievement reflects the seriousness with which his government views healthcare delivery and the level of attention being devoted to improving medical services in the state.
Governor Otti further disclosed that his administration would soon operationalise and commission the Aba Cottage Hospital as well as the newly completed General Hospitals in Obingwa and Arochukwu.
He stated that the administration would continue its healthcare expansion drive until all 22 general hospitals across the state are revived and made fully operational.
Earlier in his remarks, the Commissioner for Health, Professor Ogbonnaya Uche, commended Governor Otti for prioritising healthcare infrastructure and improving the welfare of citizens through strategic investments in the sector.
Prof Uche explained that the cottage hospital would serve as a major referral centre for primary healthcare facilities in Isiala Ngwa South and neighbouring communities.
The Commissioner stated that the hospital had been equipped with modern facilities, including solar-powered systems to ensure uninterrupted services during power outages, as well as a theatre, delivery room, pharmacy and clinic units.
He added that the local government area currently has 13 functional primary healthcare centres renovated under Project Ekwueme.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of the Abia State Hospital Management Board (HMB), Dr Odochi Azubuike, said the hospital had been restored to provide both inpatient and outpatient services, maternal and child healthcare, emergency stabilisation, as well as minor and selected major surgical procedures.
She explained that the facility, which had previously been in a state of near collapse, had now been retrofitted and fully equipped with modern medical and laboratory equipment capable of delivering quality healthcare services comparable to advanced facilities.
In their goodwill messages, Senator Darlington Nwokocha, the member representing Isiala Ngwa North and South Federal Constituency, Chief Ginger Onwusibe, and the member representing Isiala Ngwa South State Constituency, Mr Roland Caesar, commended the Governor for prioritising healthcare development and other infrastructural projects across the state.
Also, the Anglican Archbishop of Aba Ecclesiastical Province, Rt Rev Isaac Nwobia, and the traditional ruler of Okporoahaba Autonomous Community, Eze Peter Emeonye, described the healthcare intervention as remarkable.
He however appealed for the construction of the Okporoahaba Road to improve socio-economic activities and the living conditions of residents.
