Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has flagged off the first phase of the construction, expansion and upgrade of the General Hospital in Akwanga into a specialist hospital.
The groundbreaking ceremony was held in Akwanga, Local Government Area, of the state with traditional rulers, political leaders and other stakeholders in attendance.
Valued at N6 billion, the project will include a trauma centre and a five-storey building equipped with modern diagnostic facilities.
Governor Sule said the upgrade was aimed at ensuring equitable distribution of tertiary healthcare facilities across the state’s three senatorial zones.
According to the governor, the new facility will serve as a state-owned specialist hospital for the northern zone while the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital has been handed over to the Federal Government.
He therefore told the contractor to deliver quality work within the agreed timeline.
The commissioner for Health, Dr Gaza Gwamna, described the project as a major milestone in the state’s healthcare development.
He told the gathering that the Sule administration has also employed over 2,600 health workers and approved the recruitment of additional nurses and doctors.
The Chairman of Akwanga LGA, Safiyanu Isa Andaha, commended the governor for the health facility because the northern zone had long lacked a tertiary healthcare facility.
Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada also praised the initiative, describing it as a testament to the governor’s leadership.
The facility will feature a modern trauma centre designed to serve as a training and research hub due to Akwanga’s strategic location along major highways.
Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie
