Abia State Government has designated a section of the Mother and Child Hospital in Umuahia as an isolation centre as part of efforts to guard against a possible Ebola outbreak.
Governor Alex Otti announced the development on Friday during his monthly media interaction, assuring residents that no Ebola infection had been detected in the state.
He explained that the decision was part of his administration’s preparedness strategy, adding that the designated facility would remain unavailable for regular public use as it was being reserved for emergency response.
Otti said, “We activated all the protocols here. We have set up an isolation centre, the Mother and Child Hospital in Umuahia, which has just been renovated.
“We have said we won’t open it for public use. We have designated an isolation centre just in case. But at the moment, we don’t have any reported cases.
“We are not resting on our oars. So everybody should also observe the protocols and do what you need to do, but do not panic. So we have to be ready just in case, and we are ready.”
The governor urged residents to remain cautious and follow preventive guidelines without creating unnecessary panic over the disease.
Moving to the state’s healthcare achievements, Otti revealed that more than 31,000 people had benefited from eye examinations under the Abia State Eye Health Management Bureau.
He said 1,811 patients had received surgical treatment, including 304 people who underwent cataract operations at no cost.
Otti also disclosed that the government had expanded access to eye care through 25 centres spread across the state’s 17 local government areas. According to him, approval had been granted for four more facilities, which would bring the total to 29.
On public transportation, the governor explained why his administration had settled for electric buses rather than adopting the Federal Government’s proposed CNG-powered transport model.
He maintained that Abia was open to private investments in CNG infrastructure, revealing that discussions had been held with interested companies to establish refuelling stations in the state.
Otti said, “We are not doing CNG. We are doing electric. We have been having a lot of companies showing interest. I think we have even agreed with one or two of them to set up motor stations here for CNG. And that will not be for public transportation.
“It will be for others. So, it is cheaper to run your vehicle on CNG than petrol. But the truth is that two of them are internal combustion engines. So, moving to electric moves you a notch higher. But that requires a different set of engines. So, we are not opposed to CNG.
“But we chose electric vehicles for our public transportation. I am also aware that some companies have specialised in converting internal combustion engines. No, in converting petrol and diesel to CNG. We are not opposed to it, but we are not introducing it in our public transportation system.”
The governor further reviewed his administration’s activities in other areas, including road development, healthcare delivery, electricity and public utilities during the media session.
