The N41 billion Ibom Specialist Hospital in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, has been shut down just two years after it was built and commissioned by the administration of former governor Godswill Akpabio.
Dominic Ukpong, the commissioner for health in the state, confirmed that the hospital had been closed down on Wednesday, October 4.
He said there was a disagreement between the state government and Cardiocare over the funding of the hospital.
”The administration of the hospital, in my opinion, has not been satisfactory. Their excuses have been that government didn’t meet its own part of the obligation.
”But I am a witness to the huge amount of money the government has given to the service provider to run the hospital. And we haven’t had much to show for it.”
”The hospital could not get its electric power from the power company since it was not connected to the national grid.”
”Asides from the fact that the state government was giving free diesel to their quarters, I remember that at some point the state government gave N250 million to them (Cardiocare), at their request, which they said they wanted to use to pay salaries.”