Relieve For Akpabuyo, Bakassi LGAs As C'River Gov't Directs Return Of Health Services At St. Joseph Hospital
By Kingsley Agim
There was palpable relief on the faces of the traditional rulers, youths, women, as well as personnel of St. Joseph Hospital, Ikot Ene, Akpabuyo upon the State Government's directives to recommence medical services and phased renovation of the facility.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Egbe Ayuk, who made this known during an inspection visit to St. Joseph Hospital, Ikot Ene, Akpabuyo, Friday, lamented the enormous degree of the 2020 EndSars vandalisation to the facility, which left it bereft of medical services, and hitherto made access to healthcare an elusive luxury to the people of Akpabuyo and their Bakassi neighbours.
Dr. Ayuk promised to redeploy a medical doctor to the facility and also directed the hospital management to make a requisition of what is expected to return basic health care services to St. Joseph Hospital, with immediate focus on the laboratory, pharmacy and other critical departments that can return services to the hospital.
"The government of Sen. Bassey Otu is desirous of seeing services returned to the facility which serves both Akpabuyo and Bakassi LGAs. The hospital needs renovation. We will commence phased implementation, beginning with minor upgrading to commence service delivery at the historical hospital," the Commissioner stated.
The Health Commissioner commended the facility's staff for their enthusiasm and readiness to work in spite of the unfriendly working environment. He also hailed a youth volunteer group led by Mr. Patrick Edem Bassey, for periodically tidying the environment and providing some form of security for the facility.
After his inspection of the hospital, the Commissioner visited the community leaders to convey government's position, describing the meeting as "key to the intervention on the health facility."
Dr. Ayuk charged them to take ownership of the health facility by providing an internal security architecture that would ensure the safety of both the hospital and its staff, noting that the community must participate effectively in the security of services to be returned to the hospital.
Speaking on behalf of the Eneyo Traditional Rulers Council, Chief Francis Ene thanked the State Government for looking to return services to an important area of need such as St. Joseph Hospital.
Chief Ene also used the opportunity to commend Governor Bassey Otu for restoring sanity to Akpabuyo, saying "the LGA is now safe. The over-exaggerated insecurity threats cannot be substantiated," adding that Akpabuyo traditional rulers and youths have also taken it upon themselves to maintain security in the area.
Highlighting the importance of the hospital to the people of Akpabuyo and Bakassi, Ene appealed to government to urgently revamp the facility, which he described as the oldest in the region.
