REOPENS ABA GENERAL HOSPITAL AFTER EIGHT YEARS
Ask anyone who is familiar with Aba town. One of the most defining and most important public institutions in Aba is the good old Aba General Hospital.
There is hardly anyone who had anything to do with Aba between the 1950s and early 2000 who was not connected somehow with that hospital.
If you were not born there, then your parents were. If your relation didn’t work work there, your friend did. Something must have taken you to that place.
This is true.
It was here that Joseph Musa Agwu was born in 1968 in the middle of the civil war just before Aba fell to federal forces.
Established in 1946 by the colonial administration, the Aba General Hospital became synonymous with healthcare delivery in Aba. It boasted of the finest and most experienced medical personnel in Aba town. Indeed, most doctors who later set up successful private medical practices started as staff of the Aba General Hospital.
When the colonialists left, the first set of Nigerian doctors that served there were the finest Aba could boast of then. They included –
Dr. Ubani Ukoma – Physician
Dr. Mbuko – Orthopedic Surgeon
Dr. Onyeaso – Surgeon
Dr. Kalunta- Psychiatrist
Dr. Ojimma- GP
Dr Nwaejike – Obstetrician and Gynecologist
Dr. Ochia Nwankwo- Pediatrician
Former Deputy Governor, Late Dr. Chima Nwafor also served there at some point.
Most, if not all of these eminent medical experts are dead now.
In 1994, the hospital was upgraded to a teaching hospital and renamed the Abia State University Teaching Hospital serving as a training center for medical students of the Abia State University (ABSUTH).
In 2010, ABSUTH relocated to its permanent site at Umueze. With this movement, all medical, non medical staff together with all the medical equipment and paraphernalia moved. This left the sprawling compound of the old Aba General Hospital abandoned. The entire place was overtaken by weeds. Infact, it became a forest of some sorts as all manner of reptiles and wild birds found a home there. Buildings there decayed beyond recognition.
One other area that suffered with this ugly situation was the economic activities around that area. The location of the hospital naturally led to the establishment of a cluster of pharmaceutical companies who opened shops around the area in addition to small units of patent medicine dealers. The place is even known as Hospital Road. When the hospital moved and the premises abandoned, these businesses naturally closed shop.
The Schools of Nursing and Midwifery located inside the premises was naturally affected. They no longer had anywhere to do their clinicals. Soon after, the schools lost accreditation.
It was indeed a sorry situation.
Then Ikpeazu came on board…
When Governor Okezie Ikpeazu inaugurated the Board of the Hospitals Management Board in early 2016, one of the marching orders he gave them was to revive the Aba General Hospital. The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Gozie John Ahukannah was asked by the Governor to supervise this assignment.
They have been working quietly since then and today, history was made with the grand reopening of the hospital to the delight of the people of Aba.
At a well attended occasion held under the distinguished Chairmanship of Dr. Dennis Orji, the MD of Horstman Clinics, one of the most prominent doctors in Aba, Governor Ikpeazu said that this will be one of his greatest legacies to the people of Aba.
According to the Governor, “as an Aba boy, I told myself that I cannot be Governor and not bring the Aba General Hospital back to life”. He thanked God for a day like this and appreciated the people of Aba for their patience and support. He also thanked the team led by the Commissioner for making this day real and for prudently managing funds released to them for this purpose. He assured that his administration will ensure that the hospital will be turned into a center of excellence in a very short time.
Special and quality medical equipment, laboratory facilities, scanning machines have been procured by the government for the hospital while street lights have been installed at the hospital premises.
The entire premises has been thoroughly cleaned up, fumigated and upgraded.
Of course, under Ikpeazu, the Schools of Nursing and Midwifery have had their full accreditation restored after funds were released to reactivate the institutions.
The hospital is now open to the public with a full complement of staff. To mark this occasion, they declared a 7 day free medical treatment to the people of Aba.
The hundreds of medical doctors and nurses who had their clinical training as students of the Abia State University will always remember this premises with deep nostalgia and will surely be delighted with this new development.
Pharmaceutical dealers who closed shop around this area will be delighted to be back to business.
I have two solid memories of this hospital. First three of my kids were born here.
Secondly, it was here that Abogu Chinedu was rushed when he suffered severe stomach disorder from consuming hot akara at Ama Akara Umule in 1989.
It was also here, under the Mango tree near the pediatric ward that I successfully toasted Lolo Ururuaja.
It’s a new day for the people of Aba.
©Onyebuchi Ememanka