By Festus Ahon

ASABA—DELTA State Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Azinge, has said that the Asaba Central Hospital, Asaba, will be ready before the end of the second quarter of 2018.

Speaking when he visited the Central Hospital, which has been under construction for over three years, Azinge said: “I am here to ascertain the level of work done and to discuss a possible timeframe for the completion of the hospital project.”

He said that as soon as areas of modifications that had delayed the project were sorted out, “We will sit down to set a new date for the completion of the hospital,” adding that the delay  was due to some modification to the floor plan which did not meet the required standard, which made the past administration of Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan to order a remodeling in the hospital to a world class standard.

The Health Commissioner said that civil works were already ongoing to remodel the hospital, modernize some of the structures already on ground, change the walkway and introduce facilities in the hospital that befits a world class hospital.

On the level of job done so far, Azinge said,  “Overall, it is almost 80 percent complete. Some wards are complete, the A&E is complete and some others.”

Overall,  we score them about 80 percent completion which is at the little advanced from the last time we went there to visit.”

Calling on Deltans to be patient with the Dr Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration and the contractor to enable the construction firm to a good job, he said “The hospital will be ready before the end of the second quarter of next year.”