Akwa Ibom State governor, Pastor Umo Eno, on Friday commissioned an Ante-natal Complex at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), which was built to immortalise his late wife, Pastor Patience Umo Eno.
Governor Eno described the gesture as a perfect Valentine’s gift from him and his family.
Speaking at the commissioning of the Complex at the premises of UUTH, the Governor said the gesture has brought his wife’s deep love for the family as a critical unit for the development of the society, which had informed her decision to establish her pet project, the Golden Initiative For All (lGIFA).
He said the antenatal complex complements the government’s passion and dedication to reducing infant mortality and ensuring that pregnant mothers are exposed to the best care possible in the state.
Governor Eno assured that his government was “working hard to reposition the Specialist Hospital to the standard that will drive medical tourism into the state, open up a medical corridor with a medical village, build a complete mother and child hospital, with doctors quarters, and other facilities that will promote medical tourism.”
He noted that though the UUTH is a federal institution, most of the beneficiaries are indigenes of Akwa Ibom, and therefore announced a donation of N200 million to support the medical services in the hospital as well as N10 million for health insurance of needy patients in the hospital.
Governor Eno commended the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof. EmemAbasi Bassey, a former Commissioner of Health in the state, for his transformational initiative in the hospital and assured him of the government’s continuous support to enable him to do more.
He also assured that the “government will ensure continuous collaboration with the UUTH management and other medical stakeholders to actualise its development vision for the medical sector as encapsulated in the ARISE Agenda.
In her remarks, the Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Mrs Helen Eno Obareki, also appreciated the CMD and the management for the gesture, which, according to her, “is in line with one of the thematic areas of GIFA, maternal healthcare.”
Responding, the CMD hailed the governor for his numerous assistance to the hospital and for his commitment to transforming the state medical sector.