Adams Oshiomhole

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has said that the newly constructed state’s 200-bed Central Hospital in Benin, is more beautiful and will be better equipped than many hospitals in Europe and Asia.

The governor who spoke on Tuesday during an inspection of the hospital, assured that the 200-bed Central Hospital which has attained 98 per cent completion, will be adequately maintained to ensure its durability and effective service delivery to the people.

He said: “When I said at the beginning that our intention is to build what I called a five-star hospital, most people tried to imagine what that meant, but I am sure just looking at the building, I don’t know of any hotel in Nigeria, in terms of aesthetics, that has a better appeal than this. And this is the sort of thing you find in Europe, and some other advanced economies. If you are in the 21st Century, begin to think as if you are in the 22nd Century because the world has changed and it will keep changing. The pace of change will keep accelerating.

“The whole idea is that when a typical Edo person comes from a village like mine, if he gets in here and realizes that even the environment psychologically impacts on him and he begins to appreciate that he is important, he is in the hands of professional healthcare providers, that way, that forgotten rural man, for once, will have access to modern facilities. You don’t need to board an airline to London, to India, to Europe to be told how hospitals look there. I am sure that those of you who may have for one reason or another travelled, there are many hospitals in Europe and in India that are not as beautiful as this.

“And so, I believe that a hundred years from now, this hospital will not look outdated. You will see that as you look at the internal finishing, we took into account the conventional challenges you have with public building, problem of painting and repainting, and with the facials that you have, you will never need to do repainting, all you need is proper cleaning at regular intervals.

“The only thing we must now do is to address the critical issue of the human factor. Once the hospital is open, we must re-engage the doctors on the rule of engagement. We won’t invest in this kind of facility, and a doctor comes in to clock in one hour, and goes back to do his private practice, and then collects a cheque for one month at the end of the day.

“I think we provide a hospital that can provide for everyone, both the rich and the poor. There won’t be a difference in treatment for the poor and the rich.”