Benue healthcare boost: Ogwuche leads inspection of permanent site for Otukpo General Hospital

By Benedicta Aboh

The Benue State Government has intensified efforts to improve healthcare delivery with plans to relocate General Hospital, Otukpo, to a permanent site, following an assessment visit by the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ejeh Ogwuche.

Dr. Ogwuche, who led a high-powered delegation to the hospital's temporary facility on Tuesday, said the move was part of Governor Hyacinth Alia's commitment to strengthening the state's healthcare system through improved infrastructure, better working conditions for health workers and enhanced access to quality medical services.

The delegation included the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Cephas Hough; Director of Medical Services, Dr. Solomon Wombo; Executive Secretary of the Benue State Hospitals Management Board, Dr. Mathew Onoja, and other senior officials of the ministry and the board.

Receiving the team, the Principal Medical Officer of General Hospital, Otukpo, Dr. James Diatah, commended the state government for the visit, describing it as a clear demonstration of concern for the welfare of both healthcare workers and patients.

He, however, highlighted the operational challenges facing the hospital at its temporary location and appealed for the speedy relocation of the facility to a permanent site.

The commissioner and his team later inspected the hospital's facilities, assessing its infrastructure, medical equipment, service delivery units, staff welfare and other operational needs requiring government intervention.

Addressing members of staff after the inspection, Dr. Ogwuche praised their dedication and resilience despite the difficult working conditions, assuring them that Governor Alia remained committed to creating an enabling environment for efficient healthcare delivery across the state.

He said healthcare remains a key priority of the Alia administration and disclosed that findings from the assessment would guide both immediate and long-term interventions aimed at improving health services in Otukpo and other parts of the state.

He also urged health workers to remain committed to professionalism and ethical standards in the discharge of their duties.
As part of the visit, the delegation inspected three locations within Otukpo town to determine their suitability as the permanent site for the hospital.

General Hospital, Otukpo, has operated from a temporary facility since 2022 after its former premises were ceded by the Benue State Government to the Federal Government for the establishment of the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Otukpo.

The inspection, according to the government, is part of ongoing efforts to provide the hospital with a permanent facility capable of meeting the healthcare needs of residents of Otukpo and neighbouring communities.