Governor Rochas Okorocha has handed over four, out of the 27 General Hospitals built by his administration in each of the twenty-seven local governments in the state, to the Army, Navy, Airforce and the Police.
Governor Okorocha explained the development when the Commander of the Nigeria Army Medical Corps, Major-General Abimbola Amosu came to meet with him on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff in connection with the donation of the General Hospital at Umuguma in Owerri West Local Government to the army which is now Army Hospital.
The governor also stated that the Navy had already taken over the hospital at Ngor-Okpala LGA, while the Airforce took over the hospital at Owerri North and the Police Force had earlier taken over the one at Ideato South LGA, adding that the essence of all these, is to make the state the hub for medical services.
The Governor remarked “as you are aware, we have 200-bed hospitals constructed in every Local Government of the state. We are trying to make Imo state health tourist city for the federal Republic of Nigeria. For these hospitals, we have started giving them out. Airforce has taken the one at Owerri North, Army has taken the one at Umuguma in Owerri West, Nigeria Police is taking the one at Ideato South and the Navy has taken the one at Ngor-Okpala”.
He continued “today we are paying host to major-General Amosu who is incharge of the medical Department of the Nigeria Army. She came at the instance of the Chief of Army Staff to inspect one of the new hospitals built by the State Government and donated to the Nigeria Army. We will be building University of Medicine in the state to use most of the remaining hospitals as outreach centres. This is a bigger picture of what we intend to do”.
He stated, “I am very quite impressed in seeing a woman wearing the rank of a Major General. This is not common in our checked history. This is quite exemplary and this defines the reason, the army medical section is doing well”.
His words, “You are in the right place and we are ever ready to partner the army. Before now the army has taken possession of three command schools, one in Orlu, one Okigwe and one in Owerri which the rescue mission government built and donated to them. We are enjoying a good collaboration with the army, and we still think that NDA which is the Army University should be here. We will provide the resources and build it if need be. Imo people are already seeing the wisdom in partnering with the agencies to bring their facilities down here”.
In her speech, General Amosu said, “I am here at the instance of the Chief of Army Staff who got the letter and appreciated the offer of the state government to donate a 200 bed hospital to the Nigeria Army. One thing is clear, that even if the hospital is donated to the Nigeria Army, it will definitely serve not just the military personnel and their families, but the communities around where the facility is located because that is one thing we do with our facilities. The medical care, our schools etc are not just for the military, we use them also as a way of improving our civilian-military relations”.
According to her, “The army is passionate about medical care and that’s why we offer free medical outreach to the public. Just like the one we had in Imo during the Chief of Army Staff Conference hosted in the State. The donation of this hospital will now make it more permanent because the military medical outreach is of high quality. We are satisfied with the hospital having inspected it. We will make it world class and it will key into the plans of the government to make the state a hub for medical outreach in the country”.
