Ikpeazu promises to expand Abia University Teaching Hospital

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, on Thursday, promised to expand the state University Teaching Hospital, (ABSUTH), Aba, to house some newly acquired equipment.
The governor disclosed this at the ABSUTH campus, Umueze, Aba, during his visit to hand over N180 million worth of equipment procured for the hospital to the management of the institution.
Ikpeazu said that the organisations that helped his government to secure the equipment would be returning to Abia to verify that they were being used and their impact felt by Abia residents.
He also promised to reroof the hospitals operating theatre which puts surgeries on hold whenever it rains because of leakage.
He said he would consult with the state Commissioner for Lands to know the private developers who have encroached on the hospital’s land space in order to stop them.
He said that the mandate of ABSUTH should be understood by the staff to appreciate the cost of keeping it working compared to the amount of revenue it generates.
The governor said that there are investors willing to invest in the institution but regretted that such may not be possible because of incessant strikes by the staff.
Besides, Ikpeazu pledged to ensure that their eight months salary arrears were paid and called on them to make some sacrifices to make the state better.
The governor described health as a very great enabler in every nation, adding that getting the state health sector right will be his biggest achievement.
Earlier, the Chairman, ABSUTH Management Board, Dr Kingsley Enweremmadu, said the hospital has lived up to and exceeded the expectation of its founding fathers.
He said that through the sacrifice of staff, the institution had been operating and recording some achievements in block building which was meant for a specialist hospital earlier planned there.
Enweremmadu said the hospital needed an emergency and accident department building, Laboratory Department and Radiology Department buildings and space for an amenity ward.
He further asked the governor to fix the road leading to the hospital, provide a dedicated 33KVA transformer and generating sets as the ones they have had become obsolete.
While thanking Ikpeazu for the visit, he expressed optimism that the visit would bring the expected results for the institution and the state.