Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti has approved the upgrade and retrofitting of Abia Specialist Hospital Umuahia; and Amachara General Hospital into a world -class medical facility.

Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, who disclosed this while briefing news men on the outcome of this week’s Executive Council meeting, said the move was in pursuit of the Governor’s quest to provide Abia residents with quality health care.

He added that the essence of the upgrade was to enable the healthcare facilities “offer expanded scope of high quality medicare in certain special areas including internal medicine, cardiology, neurology, surgical services, general brain and spine surgeries among others.”

The Commissioner added that the Governor who had also given approval for the release of funds for the project, also directed that the upgrade be done within 13 – 15 weeks.

He said: “Approval has also been granted for the upgrade of the Diagnostic center to offer all cadres of Diagnostic and surgery services.”

He assured that Otti was desirous of converting Abia into the health tourism of Nigeria by upgrading facilities at the State hospitals.

Adding his voice, Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Uche, said “the complete overhaul of the Abia Specialist Hospital and Amachara General Hospital are designed to elevate the health institutions to centers of excellence in various medical specialties.”

The move, according to him, will not only improve the existing facilities but will also introduce new, state-of-the-art equipment and services.

Professor Uche further disclosed that the State Government had also approved funds for the recruitment of “high-caliber specialists across various medical fields to ensure that Abia people receive the best in terms of quality healthcare services.”

“In the succeeding days and weeks, some of these retrofitting and upgrade of services will become manifest.”

Responding to a question, the Commissioner explained that the upgrade of the hospitals would not stop the proposed building of a medical village in the state, but provide sophisticated medical services to residents in the interim.