NAN-H-17
Hospital
Potiskum (Yobe), Nov. 8, 2016 (NAN) Some residents of Potiskum, Yobe, on Tuesday, lauded the renovation and expansion of the 47 year old General Hospital Potiskum, to meet the challenges of the growing population.
The residents who spoke to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Potiskum said, rehabilitation of the hospital will improve healthcare delivery in the community.
NAN reports that Yobe government awarded contract for renovation and expansion of the hospital at the cost of more than N700 million.
The expansion includes construction of a special maternity ward and General outpatient ward.
Alhaji Ahmadu Munkailu, a resident of Potiskum, told NAN that the renovation and expansion, will provide additional facilities for improved healthcare delivery to the community’s growing population.
He said, “the structures and facilities in the hospital have been over stretched due to long neglect and over usage.”
Ba’aba Mohammed, a student, said only few patients were admitted in the hospital for lack of beds.
“Patients who ought to have been admitted were treated as out patients because, there were no beds.
“The population of Potiskum, has by far out grown the capacity of the hospital, we hope this expansion project will provide more facilities” Mohammed said.
Hauwa Alkali, a house wife, expressed hope that the renovation, expansion and equipping of the hospital will reduce maternal and child mortality in the community.
“I pray this rehabilitation work will help in reducing maternal and child mortality in Potiskum and the surrounding communities.”
Earlier, Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam, while inspecting work on the hospital warned the contractors to adhere to the contractual agreements or face sanction.
“Healthcare delivery is key to this administration, it is out of this commitment that this administration is renovating the 47 year old hospital” he said.
The governor said since the construction of the hospital in 1969, it had not received any major renovation.
“Government is doing a complete renovation, expansion and equipping of the hospital to bring healthcare to the doorstep of the people” he said. (NAN)
MM/EAL/IS
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Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi/Ismail Abdulaziz