Akwa Ibom Specialist hospital opens 6 months after launch

Finally the world class  Akwa Ibom specialist hospital has begun operations, six months after it was commissioned by former Governor Godswill Akpabio who left office May 29.

The hospital, initially known as the Akwa Ibom 20th Anniversary Hospital, is now officially called Ibom Specialist Hospital.

The hospital became a subject of controversy in September after Mr. Akpabio, now senate minority leader, travelled to the United Kingdom for medical attention after a car accident, abandoning the multibillion naira facility his administration promoted as being of world class standard.

Mr. Akpabio later said the hospital’s takeoff was delayed because foreign doctors billed to work there had not been cleared by the Nigerian Immigration Service to travel to the country.
He said the hospital would start off with 150 expatriates at once.

Some of the doctors are now in the state, and have been deployed to test run equipment at the facility.
About 25 foreign doctors have so far started work at the hospital while about 125 others were still being expected in the country

It was unclear how many Nigerian doctors would be employed at the new hospital.

Premuim Times