Cross River hands off four hospitals to concessionaires

The concessionaires will run the hospitals for the initial 20 years and will ensure that 4% of the operating profit will be payable yearly to the state government after a moratorium period of 12 months.The terms of the understanding also shows that 70 % of all collected revenues from the outdoor media and signage services […]

The concessionaires will run the hospitals for the initial 20 years and will ensure that 4% of the operating profit will be payable yearly to the state government after a moratorium period of 12 months.
The terms of the understanding also shows that 70 % of all collected revenues from the outdoor media and signage services will equally go to the state government.
The four concessioner  firms  included the General Hospital,  Bekwarra, concessioned to Bakor Hospital Ltd, Saint Luke Hospital Consortium handed General Hospital, Obudu, while Meditron-Loba Healthcare Ltd takes pharmacies and clinical diagnostic centres in General Hospitals Igoli [Ogoja], Yahe and Okpoma  [Yalla] and Sankwala [Obanliku] local government areas respectively.
Imoke explained that by the agreement, the concessions would run under the supervision of the Bureau for Public Private Partnership [BPPP] which was set up by law with a vision to ensure Cross River State leads in reforms and service delivery to its people through global best practice.
He stated that the agreement was ground breaking in Nigeria in the delivery of services to the people, knowing the roles of the private sector.
He also said it was to create access at low cost, as Private Partnership comes with experience, skills and access to finance to provide service not only in terms of standards, but in quality of service.
“For us, if we are to deliver healthcare efficiently, we must set new standard, new benchmarks and if we fail to do that, as an administration, it means that we have failed in our obligation to our people,” Imoke reiterated.
He described the two hospitals to be managed under the agreement as excellent models which have rendered no services for some time now, while noting that the diagnostic services in some of the general hospitals are below standards as x-rays and blood tests are done and drugs bought outside the hospitals.
Speaking on behalf of other concessionaires, Mr. Chris Parks of Chris Parks Marketing Solutions,  said they were awarded the concession based on trust and promised that they would deliver as promised.