The hospital
established in 1937 by the early missionaries is run and managed by Catholic
Church, Uyo
Diocese and is in a dire state of dilapidation.
Governor Udom
Gabriel Emmanuel, who stated this during his first official outing pledged to
turn around the hospital, noting that the management of the hospital should
come for discussion on the issue in an atmosphere devoid of sentiment and ego.
Emmanuel, who had
inspected theatre, Gynecology, Children, General, Pediatrics wards, among
others, remarked, "This tour around the hospital is to show that the
present government is interested in the well-being of its citizens. It is our
concern and focus to have quality medical care in the state, which is why we would
partner the hospital".
“The hospital has
been a long-standing hospital that has served the nation and the people, which
is why we need a partnership that works and not the partnership of ego or
sentiments. Because we need this hospital to work and for the people to see
progress, I am not interested in changing the name of the hospital but only to
see that the hospital works", the governor asserted.
He said he is
looking forward to hold more discussions with the Catholic community, and
appealed to the Catholic Church to move in the same direction by leaving
sentiments aside, stressing that the state government wants a facility that
works and that the state government is working to avoid the hospital becoming a
decayed facility.
Emmanuel, who
assured the staff that the government was interested in their welfare and that
they would see a total turn-around of the hospital, thanked the staff for sustaining
and maintaining the hospital, disclosing that the state government would
partner the Federal Government to control erosion menace threatening the
hospital premises.
The hospital
administrator and co-ordinator, Rev. Fr. Charles Essien disclosed that St.
Luke's Hospital started in 1937 by the Catholic medical missionaries and is the
second oldest hospital in the country, that was later managed by the church and
the state government after the war before it was handed over to the church,
stressing that the hospital was dwindling and needed the intervention of the
state government to upgrade the hospital.
Rev. Fr. Essien
hinted that the hospital has the highest number of patients in the state, has
300 beds, records between 200-300 deliveries monthly, while Mboho Iban in
California, United States of America and other concerned citizens rallied round
to ensure that the local people are being saved, stressing that already medical
equipment have been purchased by the hospital.
He further stressed
that the nurses and doctors have been working hard 24 hours daily to save the
lives of the people and that the visit of the state Governor has given them
hope that something good was about to happen, maintaining that they welcome
partnership with the state government in order to save more lives that should
not change the Catholic identity.
78-Year old hospital for face-lift
Reviewed by Vita Ioanes
on
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
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