By Mfonobong Ukpong
The absence of a General Hospital in UYO, the Akwa Ibom State capital with it’s rapidly growing population, and MBO a coastal Local Government Area, being Nigeria’s international boundary with the Republics of Cameron, Equitorial Guinea, and São Tomé and Príncipe has again been brought to the fore.
A resolution passed by the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Thursday at plenary has urged Governor Umo Eno to consider Uyo being a state capital and Mbo with it’s strategic location for the siting of a General Hospital, considering the indispensability of secondary health care institutions in public healthcare value chain.
The resolution of the House is sequel to a motion on notice on “the need for the establishment of General Hospitals in UYO and MBO local government areas, sponsored by the member representing Oron/Udunguko State Constituency, Hon. Mrs. Kenim Onofiok, and Co-sponsored by three others, including by the Deputy Speaker, and Member for ITU, Rt. Hon. KufreAbasi Edidem and Chief Whip of the House, and member for MBO, Rt. Hon. Effiong Johnson.
Leading debate on the motion, Mrs. Onofiok, reasoned that health is wealth, and that only a healthy population can contribute meaningfully to the building of a prosperous and virile society. She expressed worry that Uyo being a state capital playing hosts to both indigenes of the local government area, residents from other LGA’s, visitors from other parts of the country and foreigners has no single government General Hospital, thereby leaving the over 1.5 million population of residents in the State capital in the hands of few health institutions, including St. Lukes Hospital at Anua, Nwaniba road, being a private health facility, and the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, UUTH at Abak road, being a tertiary health institutions with to contend with exorbitant medical bills being charged at these health facilities.
Also speaking, the member representing MBO, and Chief Whip of the House, Rt. Hon. Effiong Johnson had informed the House that his local government area had donated a parcel of land to the State government when he was the local government Chairman of MBO, and urged Governor Umo Eno to make use of the land for the construction of a General Hospital in MBO in sync with the ARISE AGENDA of his administration.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Udeme Otong had directed the Clerk, Mrs. Nsikak-abasi Orok to communicate the resolution of the House on the matter to the Governor for necessary action.
