The Cross River State government and the Management of General Electric on Wednesday signed a multi-million Naira contract agreement for the construction of a specialist hospital in Calabar, the state capital.
This is just as the governor, Sir Ben Ayade restated his administration’s determination to continue to provide quality healthcare to the people of the state.
Ayade made the pledge at the conference room, Governor’s Office, Calabar Wednesday during the contract signing ceremony between the state government and General Electric (GE) for the completion and equipping of a specialist hospital in Obudu Local Government Area of the state.
GE has eight months deadline to deliver on the project.
“The time frame is six months and extendable by a maximum of two months to complete the specialist hospital where a patient does not need to have money to access medical service.
I want to congratulate GE for emerging the team that will build a leisure, seven-star specialist hospital that will be one of the best in Africa,” the governor said.
Governor Ayade assured Cross Riverians that he was committed to having them enrolled in the state’s health insurance scheme for the purpose of accessing quality health care at minimal or no cost.
“Cross River will be the first state to provide social health Insurance for those who have no income at all. I believe that this is one of the real essence of governance. Ayadecare is real, it will serve you.”
Ayade said he was optimistic that the company will live up to its billing and justify why it got the contract, adding that “GE is a brand known worldwide. The GE and Cross River State specialist hospital will be a model of how a specialist hospital should be run when completed.”
The governor, however, charged the state Ministry of Health to be on its toes and ensure that the specialist hospital takes off the ground.
According to Ayade, “Setting up the hospital and equipping it is one thing, running it with the right personnel is another. I’m charging the Commissioner for Health, Dr Betta Edu, the Permanent Secretary and the ministry to be on their toes.”
Earlier, the General Manager, West, Central and French sub-Saharan Africa of GE, Eyong Eboi commended Governor Ayade for his commitment to Healthcare.
He assured the governor that GE will work tirelessly, day and night, to meet the mandate given to the company to deliver.
