AS part of efforts to encourage patronage of the nation's hospitals and discourage medical treatment abroad, the Federal Government will begin the third phase of the upgrade of federal teaching hospitals across the country to international standard.
Under the third phase, the National Hospital, Abuja, Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abubakar Tafewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, and the Special Teaching Hospital, Edo State, would be equipped with world class medical facilitates.
Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, who disclosed this at the weekend when the National Good Governance Tour Team visited the Federal Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki, said the move was to complete all the 20 federal government-owned teaching hospitals in the country, which started during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
According to him, the present administration has embarked on upgrading four teaching hospitals, out of which the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano and Usman Dan Fodio Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, have been completed and commissioned by President Goodluck Jonathan and are already in use.
Chukwu said the University of Benin and Obafemi Awolowo University teaching hospitals have been completed but were yet to be officially commissioned. According to him, the upgrading of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, and the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital would be completed before the end of 2013.
The Guardian