The Accident and Emergency Wing of the flagship Central Hospital, Benin City, will be ready for use within the next eight months, while work on the 200-bed wing of the hospital will be completed in 16 months, contractors working on the project have said.
Site Engineer of the A&K Construction Limited, the contractor handling the project, Mr Michel Doghen, told Governor Adams Oshiomhole during an inspection of the work that the hospital is being reinforced with heavy steel bars, while three elevators have been added to the Accident and Emergency Wing, which will also serve as the Administrative Block.
Doghen said, “The first wing, Accident and Emergency Complex of the Central Hospital project is 60 per cent completed.
“We have used thick corrugated steel bars of about 25mm to reinforce all parts of the building. By the grace of God, in another eight months, the other wing will also be completed.”
He said the on-going work and reinforcements were in tandem with the recommendations of a team of Engineers which assessed the integrity of the structure after an unfortunate incident about two years ago.
Governor Oshiomhole expressed satisfaction with the progress of the job and the quality of materials used.
“As you can see, job is progressing at a pace that I am very happy with and the quality of materials we have seen look good and when you are passing through the road, you won’t realise the extent of work going on inside the building.”
“I am also impressed with what I saw in the other wing of the Hospital Complex which is the 200-bed wing. They have gotten rid of the failed portion and they have re-constructed new columns.”
Governor Oshiomhole further explained that the hospital has been redesigned and necessary upgrades have been done.
He noted that one of the aims of the State Government is to make the hospital a cancer treatment centre.