By Joseph Adahnu, Yola
In other to improve medical facilities, Federal Medical Centre has officially commenced operations and open to clinical services.
Speaking at the flag off of the commencement of the clinical services at the hospital in Hong, the Medical Director of the hospital Prof, Yakubu Nyandaiti said, the hospital will ease the difficulties faced by the people of northern Adamawa, Borno and parts of neghbouring Chad and Cameroon republics who have to travel hundreds of kilometers to access tertiary medical care.
He said the hospital was upgraded since 2020, well equipped and has state of the art facilities to provide effective and efficient services to the people of the area.
“The hospital has well equipped 100-bed mother and child friendly complex with state of the art equipment with 20 incubators, ultrasound machines, oxygen concentrators, ventilators and equipment theatre units with 120 KVA solar energy that power the complex.
Nhandaiti accordingly said, “It has a 23 bed maternal and child referral centers, a 14 bed accident and emergency unit and a patient waiting area. It has a 22 body equipped mortuary, a functional oxygen plant with the capacity to supply 8.5 cubic units of oxygen per hour. The hospital has built 10 units of 2 bedroom houses for staff and a modern incinerator”.
On his part, the chairman of Hong local government, Inuwa Warada commended the federal government, Adamawa State government and the SGF for ensuring the dream of the people in having a tertiary health care facility in the area has become a reality.
Representing the chairman, the secretary of the local government, Aliyu Sa’ad noted that with the commencement of clinical services today all speculations regarding the hospital shall be put to rest.
Sa’ad noted that Hong local government authorities will provide a certificate of occupancy to the hospital and the C of O will be presented to the management of the hospital in due course.
Also speaking, Yusuf Captain Buba, the member representing Hong/Gombi federal constituency in the house of representatives who sponsored the bill for the establishment of the health center said the hospital will bring a lot of succor to his constituents as well as people from Borno and even neighbouring countries.
Capt Buba thanked president Muhammadu Buhari, SGF, Boss Mustapha, senate president, Ahmed Lawal, speaker house of representatives Femi Gbajabiamila, members of the national assembly and governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri for their support which culminated to the establishment of the hospital.
He also commended traditional rulers from the area for their doggedness and commitment to the establishment of the medical center which led them to visit Abuja on several occasions.
And that with the full commencement of operations, patients from the area will no more go to Yola and other areas to seek for tertiary medical care adding that with the take off of the hospital, economic activities in the area will be greatly enhanced, he added.
The Member noted that no fewer than 3000 staff will be employed by the hospital, that the area will soon bustle with a lot of economic activities as the federal government has already earmarked over N2bn in 2023 in the name of the hospital.
In appreciating the efforts of those concern, the District Head of Hong and Danmaliki Adamawa, Alhaji Mahmud Umar said the commencement of operations of the hospital is an epochal and joyous development in Adamawa.
This, he thanked the Buhari-led federal government, Adamawa State government, the SGF for ensuring that the lofty dreams of having the tertiary health center in Hong local government comes to fruition.