Abuja, March 18, 2019 (NAN) The newly constructed 150-bedded Women and Children Hospital in Gombe, North Central Nigeria on Monday commenced skeletal services, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Gombe on Monday, Commissioner of Health, Dr Kennedy Ishaya, described the hospital as first of its kind in the entire North East sub region.
Ishaya said that the presence of the hospital would go a long way in reducing the poor maternal health indices in the state and the region at large.
He said that for the time being, only the maternity department and laboratory would be rendering full-pledge services, while other sections would run skeletally.
Ishaya said the hospital had two blood banks, incubator unit, scanning machines, multi-view x-ray machines with capacity for specialised tests, Twin Theater among other facilities.
In his welcome address, Dr Bello Ambi, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital appreciated the state government for giving approval for its take-off.
The contract for the construction of the hospital was awarded in 2014 at the cost of N500 million, but later reviewed to N600 million due to additional work.
The state government said that the hospital was equipped with N2.billion worth of facilities.
The commissioner, however, enjoined staff of the hospital to embrace professionalism and positive attitudes to work.
« We need attitudinal change of workers; we have now shifted to making derogatory comments instead of showing care to our patients.
« Let us encourage them to come so that the poor maternal indices will go down significantly.
« We should do everything humanly possible to ensure that no woman loses her life once she steps in to this environment, » he said (NAN)
