The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank’s private sector funding arm, has been retained by the Cross River government as lead advisor in the structuring and implementation of the state’s new 100-bed Specialist Hospital, which would be built at the newly designated Calabar New City Development Area in Calabar municipality.
In a thorough and transparent procurement process, supervised by the IFC, Utopian Consulting Limited emerged as the preferred bidder for the hospital project.
The project involves the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the 100-bed Specialist Hospital which is being developed by the state government in partnership with the private sector.
Nzan Ogbe, the special adviser to Governor Liyel Imoke on investment promotion, told BusinessDay on phone weekend that the cost of the new hospital can be got from the IFC alone.
Ogbe informed that construction and equipping of the health facility, which would be strictly supervised by the IFC, would be completed in 24 months.
When completed, the health facility would handle health precision issues like resident specialisations (for resident doctors), offer services through specialist missions in dermatology, urology, eye surgery, advanced dental surgery, among others.
The hospital will also offer a referral mechanism, a comprehensive package of secondary heath care services, including a gateway clinic offering primary healthcare service.
According to the plan, the specialist services to be offered at the hospital are to provide efficient and effective healthcare services to indigenes and residents of Cross River State.
It is also expected to reduce overseas medical evacuation currently estimated at millions of dollars and, fulfill Governor Liyel Imoke’s vision of providing improved healthcare delivery, not just to the people of the state, but also neighbouring states.
BEN EGUZOZIE & MIKE
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