• Pastor Ubong Attah
Itoro Bassey
The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has called upon Governor Umo Eno to breathe new life into the crumbling Mount Carmel Hospital in Akpautong/Afia Nsit II to meet the surging demand for medical care in Ibesikpo Asutan and Nsit Ibom local government areas.
During the House plenary, on Thursday, Hon Ubong Attah, the representative for Ibesikpo Asutan State Constituency, sponsored a motion for the hospital’s reconstruction.
Attah, in his motion, emphasized the pivotal role Mount Carmel Hospital once played as the sole secondary healthcare provider for the entire region.
According to him, the hospital used to receive referrals from primary healthcare centres in Ibesikpo Asutan, Nsit Ibom, Nsit Ubium, Nsit Atai, Etinan, Eket and Onna local government areas until its services became moribund due to neglect and a lack of attention from the authorities.
The lawmaker said the hospital has been reduced to a mere shadow of its former glory.
Displaying heart-wrenching photos showcasing the hospital’s dilapidated state, Attah highlighted the dire consequences of its closure, saying that patients from Ibesikpo Asutan and the surrounding local government areas now face arduous journeys to the distant St Luke’s General Hospital in Anua, Uyo, resulting in unnecessary loss of lives, particularly among accident victims and expectant mothers.
While acknowledging Governor Eno’s commendable efforts in infrastructure development in the state, including the ongoing construction of a Primary Health Centre in Ikot Nkwo, Ibesikpo Asutan, Attah stressed the urgent need for intervention in the deplorable state of Mount Carmel Hospital.
In his ruling, the Speaker, Udeme Otong, directed the Clerk of the House, Mrs NsikakAbasi Orok, to communicate the resolution of the House to the Governor for necessary action.
