The Cross River State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to completing the ongoing General Hospital project in Ikom Local Government Area, as part of the administration’s efforts to revive critical public infrastructure and expand access to quality healthcare across the state.
Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, gave the assurance on Friday, during an unscheduled inspection of the facility, where he assessed the progress of construction and the structural condition of the project.
Odey, who was accompanied by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Ebge Ayuk; the Commissioner for Tourism, Amb. Ayuk Obi Afor; the Special Adviser to the Governor on Stakeholders Engagement, Mr. Pedro Eyet; Special Adviser to the Governor on Think Cross River Project, Papa DC Enamhe, and the Chairman of Ikom Local Government Council, Hon. (Pst.) Mercy Nsor, said the administration of Governor Bassey Otu remained committed to completing strategic healthcare projects that would improve access to quality medical services, particularly in underserved communities.
He stressed that critical healthcare infrastructure should not be allowed to remain abandoned, noting that completing the project would strengthen healthcare delivery and provide residents of Ikom and adjoining communities with improved access to essential medical services.
The Deputy Governor assured that the government would review the outstanding issues affecting the project and take the necessary steps to mobilise resources for its completion and eventual commissioning.
Briefing the Deputy Governor, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Ebge Ayuk, explained that the project encountered initial challenges following its relocation from the proposed Primary Healthcare Centre site to its present location after the Etayip Community donated land for its development.
He noted that the relocation involved the displacement of farmlands and temporary residential structures, while the rising cost of building materials further affected the pace of construction. He added that the state government had since addressed some of the challenges through compensation of affected persons, acquisition of adjoining plots and procurement of essential materials, including timber doors and window frames.
The project contractor, Engr. Eric Achu, who conducted the inspection team around the facility, provided a technical briefing on the project and the level of work completed.
According to him, the project was initially conceived as an upgrade of the nearby Primary Healthcare Centre into a cottage hospital but was subsequently expanded by the present administration into a modern 40-bed General Hospital in response to the growing healthcare needs of Ikom and neighbouring communities.
He said the completed facility would feature male and female wards, consulting rooms, a medical laboratory, radiology department and accessibility ramps to ensure ease of movement for persons living with disabilities.
Engr. Achu expressed confidence that with sustained government support, the remaining works would be completed as scheduled, paving the way for the hospital to commence full operations and provide quality healthcare services to residents.
