Abia State Governor Alex Otti has set a target to secure international healthcare certification for three major hospitals in Abia State as part of ongoing reforms to upgrade medical infrastructure and service delivery.
The governor disclosed this on Monday while receiving the Managing Director of JNCI, Clare Omatseye, and her team, who briefed him on progress in the reconstruction and upgrading of key health facilities across the state.
Governor Otti said the state is seeking certification from Joint Commission International (JCI), widely regarded as a global benchmark for healthcare quality, patient safety, and operational standards.
Only a few hospitals in Nigeria currently hold the certification.
“I am happy that we have made a lot of progress… everything is going on simultaneously,” Otti said, noting that efforts are also underway to restructure the management of ABSUTH to improve efficiency.
The hospitals undergoing transformation into modern referral centres include the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Amachara Specialist Hospital in Umuahia, and Umunnato Specialist Hospital in Bende.
The three facilities are being developed across the state’s senatorial zones to strengthen access to specialised healthcare services.
Fast-tracking implementation
The governor directed that all required approvals be processed without delay, emphasising urgency in completing the projects.
“All the documents that are required to be signed… we will sign and return them within the week. We will also put more pressure on the contractor… because I do not like the sound of delay,” he said.
He explained that advanced radiography services would be centralised at ABSUTH to maximise efficiency, while the Amachara and Umunnato facilities are being positioned as tertiary centres to complement the teaching hospital.
External support and progress
Earlier, Omatseye commended the state’s healthcare reforms, highlighting improvements across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.
She revealed that a $1 million MRI machine donated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would be installed at ABSUTH, boosting diagnostic capacity.
The initiative underscores Abia State’s broader push to elevate healthcare delivery to international standards, improve patient outcomes, and strengthen institutional capacity within its health system.
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