OTTI COMMISSIONS UPGRADED 80-BED HOSPITAL, PROMISES BETTER HEALTHCARE IN ABIA

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has commissioned the newly remodelled and digitally equipped 80-bed Obingwa General Hospital in Mgboko, Obingwa Local Government Area, as part of efforts to improve access to quality healthcare across the state. The facility has also been renamed after late human rights activist, Chima Ubani.

Speaking during the commissioning on Tuesday, Otti said the investment was part of his administration’s broader plan to modernise public health facilities and restore public confidence in government-owned hospitals. He stressed that healthcare remained a major priority of his administration, particularly in reducing preventable deaths involving mothers and newborns.

The governor said the hospital would provide healthcare services to hundreds of thousands of residents in Obingwa and surrounding communities, including people from Aba and Osisioma. The facility features a well-equipped theatre, eye-care units, observation rooms, a technology-assisted laboratory and scan analysis system, digital data management and a renewable energy system designed to support uninterrupted power supply.

Otti also directed that the hospital operate 24 hours a day, including weekends, assuring residents that patients seeking medical attention would receive the necessary care regardless of their social or economic background. He further called on community leaders to help protect the facility from vandalism and ensure that it continues to serve its intended purpose.

The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, said the hospital was an example of the administration’s efforts to build a modern healthcare system. He disclosed that the state government had undertaken 301 health infrastructure projects within three years, including the construction and equipping of 277 primary healthcare centres.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Abia State Hospitals Management Board, Dr Odochi Azubuike, said the government inherited the Obingwa hospital in a dilapidated condition, without adequate drugs, equipment or admissions. She said the facility had now been transformed into a functional hospital capable of providing improved medical services to residents.

The renaming of the hospital after Chima Ubani was described by Otti as a tribute to the late activist’s commitment to justice, democracy and the welfare of ordinary Nigerians. The governor said the honour was intended to preserve Ubani’s legacy and inspire younger generations to embrace courage, service and integrity.