By Musa Muhammad Kutama, Calabar
The Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk, has assured residents of Etung that the ongoing General Hospital project in the area has not been abandoned.
Dr. Ayuk gave the assurance on Friday during an inspection of the project site to assess its current structural condition and determine the technical requirements for the resumption of construction.
He said the project remained a critical intervention of Governor Bassey Edet Otu’s administration aimed at ensuring the equitable distribution of public hospitals across Local Government Areas that currently lack functional general hospitals.
The Commissioner, who was accompanied by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Stakeholders Engagement, Mr. Pedro Eyet, and a consulting engineer, Engr. Eric Achu, led the team around various sections of the facility.
They examined the existing structural works and discussed measures required to safely and effectively recommence construction.
Dr. Ayuk said the technical observations from the inspection would be carefully evaluated to ensure that, upon completion, the hospital would meet required engineering standards and provide a safe, functional and conducive healthcare facility for residents of Etung and neighbouring communities.
He further stated that the state government remained committed to ensuring that critical health infrastructure projects were not abandoned, noting that the inclusion of the Etung General Hospital project in the current state budget demonstrated Governor Otu’s determination to expand access to quality healthcare across the state.
“From preliminary reports of an earlier assessment carried out in the early life of the current administration, coupled with our observations today, it is obvious that the Etung General Hospital project requires an updated design to address the gaps identified in the various assessment reports.
“The submission of the new design will be fast-tracked for government’s consideration and approval to facilitate an early commencement of work,” Ayuk said.
The Commissioner added that the government’s priority was to ensure that all necessary technical issues were properly addressed before construction resumed.
“Our concern is to ensure that when work resumes, the necessary technical issues are properly addressed and the facility is completed to the required standard.
“This is a critical intervention that will improve access to healthcare for the people of Etung,” he said.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Stakeholders Engagement, Mr. Pedro Eyet, who participated actively in the inspection, sought clarification on some of the technical observations and suggested that photographs and videos of the facility be taken.
He said the materials would assist in preparing a comprehensive report to the Governor on the current state of the project and the interventions required.
Providing a technical assessment of the facility, the consulting engineer, Engr. Eric Achu, highlighted issues concerning wall heights, load-bearing capacities and the proposed roofing framework.
Achu explained that standard wall heights are generally maintained at about three metres to enable masonry blocks to safely carry loads transferred from upper structural and roofing components.
He, however, pointed out sections where wall heights extended to approximately five metres without intermediate framing structures.
According to him, the existing brickwork in such areas may require additional reinforcement to safely support heavy concrete or extensive roofing loads.
He recommended either incorporating appropriate frame columns into the affected sections or reducing the wall heights to acceptable levels.
On the roofing and ventilation design, the consulting engineer explained that large-span roofs require specialised structural frameworks to prevent sagging and possible future failure while ensuring adequate airflow within the facility.
He therefore recommended that the individual building blocks be roofed independently rather than using a single extensive roof across the entire structure.
