Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation on Friday inaugurated the Flood and Erosion Control Project at the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital (AE-FETHA) in Ebonyi.
Inaugurating the project, the minister said the project was part of the Federal Government’s interventions in the health sector aimed at improving infrastructure at the nation’s hospitals for enhanced service delivery.
Onu said that the project was designed to check the menace of flooding and erosion threatening the hospital and its environ.
The project was executed by the Federal Government through the Ecological Fund Office (EFO), Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).
He noted that the project had reclaimed over 100 hectares of hospital land lost to flooding, adding that the reclaimed portions had been converted to useful purposes.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the intervention project, saying that the gesture was a further demonstration of the president’s love not only for Ebonyi state, but the entire South-East zone.
“The Federal Government is committed to addressing problems militating efficient service delivery in the nation’s health sector.
“This project is one of the 11Federal Government’s ecological intervention projects for third quarter of 2018 approved by Mr President and awarded by the Ecological Fund Tenders Board in Feb 2019.
“The project intervention is expected to check flooding and gully erosion menace in the teaching hospital and its environ.
“The age long problem of gully erosion in this part of the country cannot be overemphasised and I have no doubts in my mind that this intervention will bring a huge relief to this hospital that has been stressed by ecological challenges.
“This is a giant stride, which we believe will help improve environmental aesthetics of the hospital, reduce the danger to lives caused by gully erosion and persistent flooding in the hospital,” Onu said.
He said that infrastructures in the hospital, including medical equipment were being upgraded to meet international standard.
The minister urged the hospital community to maintain the project by avoiding dumping of refuse in the drainages to check blocking of the water channels.
Earlier, Mrs Habiba Lawal, Permenant Secretary, Ecological Fund Office said that the project was initiated through a request for an urgent intervention forwarded to her office by the hospital management.
Lawal represented by Mr Ben Ani, a director in the office noted that the intervention was aimed at arresting continuous flooding and erosion menace.
She said it would stem further environmental degradation and loss of lives and property within the hospital community.
Lawal commended the contractor and project consultant for adhering to contract specifications and timely delivery of the project.
“The timely completion of this project was made possible through the efforts of the project contractor and consultant who worked hard to ensure minimum loss of time in the project implementation schedule.
“The efforts were also complimented by very close monitoring and prompt honouring of all contractual obligations by the EFO,” she said.
Dr Emeka Ogah, Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital said that the intervention had brought respite to the hospital threatened by gully erosion and flooding.
He said that the hospital had qualified doctors and specialists in bone transplant and eye treatment.
“The hospital parades the best in the medical profession and receives patients from other African countries including Cameroon, Ghana and from different parts of Nigeria, who come for treatment of various ailments,” Ogah said.
