Cross River State Health Commissioner, Dr Henry Egbe Ayuk, has expressed his joy and satisfaction with the speed and quality of the construction of the European Union/United Nations-supported Ultramodern Fistula Centre at General Hospital Calabar, and the commissioning of the project by the State Governor, Sen. Bassey Otu, which is scheduled for Tuesday, November 14, 2023.
Dr. Ayuk made the announcement on Monday during a visit to the Calabar General Hospital construction site. He stated that Governor Bassey Otu-led administration is satisfied with the progress of the work, which is now 85% complete, and he thanked the EU-UN Spotlight initiative for funding such an important project in the state.
He also expressed gratitude to other partners for their contributions to the project’s success, emphasizing diligence and quality assurance.
“I am particularly delighted that this project will be ready for commissioning by His Excellency the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, in the next one week. This project was initiated and started during my tenure, and I consider it one of our achievements in the first hundred days of our administration.
I appreciate the effort of our partners, the Spotlight Initiative, the Ministry of Women Affairs, site engineers, and all those responsible for pushing this project to its current level. I encourage everyone to put in more effort to complete this project, which will be a significant milestone for the health sector in Cross River State and Nigeria at large,” the Commissioner remarked.
The site manager, Architect Ukpong Bassey, assured that the project would be officially handed over to the government for commissioning within the next seven days, stating that the work is already 85% complete.
The Chief Medical Director of General Hospital Calabar, Dr Kenneth Takim, lauded the Commissioner for Health for his keen interest in ensuring that the project meets specifications. He mentioned that when completed, the Fistula Centre would open yet another channel of service at the Hospital.
“We are expecting the final touches in a couple of days to conclude this project. I congratulate the Commissioner and partners for creating this facility, which will greatly help address fistula and gender-based issues in Cross River State,” Dr Takim concluded.
The centre, when operational, will provide repair surgeries, care, and rehabilitation for victims of obstructed labour who have developed fistula and related complications. The centre will also offer comprehensive treatment and care for gender-based violence.
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