By Kingsley Agim, Calabar
The Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Ebge Ayuk, has assured that the unfinished Etung General Hospital project has not been abandoned.
Rather, it remains a critical intervention of Governor Bassey Edet Otu’s administration towards ensuring equitable distribution of public hospitals across Local Government Areas that currently lack functional general hospitals.
Ayuk gave the assurance recently during an inspection of the project site to assess its structural condition and determine the technical requirements for the resumption of work. He was accompanied by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Stakeholders Engagement, Mr. Pedro Eyet, and a consulting engineer, Engr. Eric Achu.
The Commissioner led the team around various sections of the facility, examining the existing structural works and discussing the measures required to safely and effectively recommence construction. He said the technical observations from the inspection would be carefully evaluated to ensure that the project, when completed, meets the required engineering standards and provides a safe, functional and conducive healthcare facility for the people of Etung and its surrounding regions.
Ayuk stressed that the State Government remains 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 reflected Governor Otu’s determination to expand access to quality healthcare and ensure equitable distribution of health facilities 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.
He added: “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.”
Special Adviser to the Governor on Stakeholders Engagement, Mr. Pedro Eyet, who actively participated in the inspection, sought clarification on some of the technical observations and suggested that photographs and videos of the facility be taken to enable a comprehensive report to the Governor on the state of the project and the interventions required.
Providing the technical assessment, Engr. Achu highlighted issues relating to wall heights, load-bearing capacities and the proposed roofing framework. He explained that standard wall heights are generally maintained at about three metres to enable masonry blocks safely carry loads transferred from upper structural and roofing components.
Achu pointed out sections where wall heights extended to approximately five metres without intermediate framing structures, noting that the existing brickwork could 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 attempting to span a single extensive roof across the entire structure.
