The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mrs. Daju Kachollom, on Tuesday unveiled the ultra-modern Intensive Care Unit (ICU), maternity complex and oxygen plant located at the National Obstetric Fistula Centre in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

Speaking during the commissioning of the facility, Mrs. Kachollom commended the management team of NOFIC for the efficient and effective transformation of the hospital.

She said that the hospital, being the first fistula centre in Nigeria, has saved many lives of women and others since its inception.

“I am impressed with what I saw at the hospital, both facilities and infrastructure. Ebonyi State has grown past other states in terms of equipment and facilities,” she said.

The Permanent Secretary charged the management of the hospital to ensure quality service delivery and treat patients with utmost care.

Earlier, in his remarks, the Medical Director of the hospital, Professor Johnson Obuna, said that the new ICU complex and oxygen plant were geared towards achieving mandates such as prevention of fistula, manpower development and training, as well as free treatment.

The Medical Director said that the new maternity complex has been fully funded, while the fully functional oxygen plant produces about 96 cylinders of 40 cubic centimetres each per day.

Obuna added that the hospital supplies oxygen to neighbouring hospitals, which also serves as internally generated revenue for the centre.

He appealed to the Federal Government for intervention funds to re-asphalt the premises of the hospital, which he said had collapsed.

The Director stated: “We appeal for the release of funds to complete ongoing projects. This will give us a big sigh of relief, as we are facing accommodation problems.”

The Medical Director also solicited intervention funds from the government to develop its permanent site spanning 20 hectares of land donated to the centre by the host community in Abakaliki.