Most talked about N41 billion Akwa Ibom ‘world class’ hospital shut down

The Ibom Specialist Hospital in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has been shut down, just two years after it was built and commissioned by the administration of former governor Godswill Akpabio.

Almost all the health workers in the hospital were foreigners, mostly from India.

Mr. Akpabio had boasted that the hospital, which he described as ‘world class’, was better equipped and higher in status than university teaching hospitals in Nigeria, and that it was going to promote medical tourism in the country.

The multi-million dollar hospital was shut down in September after its private managers terminated their contract with the state government and withdrew from the facility.

When Premium Times visited the hospital on Monday evening, the facility was locked down; apart from the security officials, not a single person was inside its massive buildings.

Visitors were not allowed entry.

Some persons who had worked in the hospital told Premium Times  that the private managers – Cardiocare Medical Services Ltd – left because of unresolved issues bordering on funding by the state government.

The Commissioner for Health in the state, Dominic Ukpong, confirmed on Wednesday to PT that the hospital has been closed down.

Mr. Ukpong, a medical doctor, admitted that there was a disagreement between the state government and Cardiocare Ltd over the funding of the Ibom Specialist Hospital. But he also accused Cardiocare of poor management of the facility.

“The administration of the hospital, in my opinion, has not been satisfactory,” Mr. Ukpong told  Premium Times.

“Their excuses have been that government didn’t meet its own part of the obligation. But I am a witness to the huge amount of money the government has given to the service provider to run the hospital. And we haven’t had much to show for it,” the health commissioner said.

He said money was released at various times for the running of the hospital, besides the $5 million start-off fund the state government gave to Cardiocare Ltd.

The hospital could not get its electric power from the power company since it was not connected to the national grid.

-Premium Times