Kwara Govt approves conversion of general hospital

The Kwara Government has approved the transfer of the general hospital Ilorin to support the training of medical students and related professionals by the Kwara State University (KWASU).

The state commissioner for health, Dr Amina El-Imam, said a major step that involved huge facility upgrades at the hospital has been adopted, as well as legislation to guide its operations.

El-Imam told journalists on Wednesday in Ilorin that the state executive council observed that recent facility upgrades under the AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq administration had earlier qualified the facility as a postgraduate training health institution and approved an additional N906.7 million seed fund to push through the historic transition.

“The proposed seed fund will meet the cost of infrastructural facelifts and construction of new ones, equipment upgrades, administrative changes, and address manpower needs to support the training of medical students, which is complementary to the ongoing postgraduate training.

“This will be of immense benefit to the people of Kwara State and the nation at large,” she said.

She said the council also approved for the government to present a bill on ‘establishment of the Kwara State Teaching Hospital and related matters’ to the House of Assembly.
In another development, the council endorsed the redesign and comprehensive reconstruction of the iconic Kwara Hotel, to be executed by Craneburg Construction Company Limited.

The project aims to transform the hotel into a five-star hospitality facility, with an allocated budget of N17.8 billion for a 24-month duration.

Additionally, the state Ministry of Works and Transport announced the immediate reconstruction of the Wahab Folawiyo Road in Ilorin, following the council’s approval.

The road, a major artery into downtown Ilorin, will undergo phased works starting Dec. 18 to minimise traffic disruption.

Mr AbdulQuawiy Olododo, the Coordinating Commissioner for Works and Transport, assured the public that private properties and business premises not encroaching on government setbacks would remain untouched during the road construction.

He also outlined diversionary routes to ease traffic during the construction period.

Furthermore, the council approved the construction of a modern flyover at Unity roundabout to manage traffic flow, entrusted to Craneburg Construction at the cost of N8.4 billion for a 12-month duration.

These initiatives fall under the urban renewal and developmental road projects, aimed at enhancing travel, economic growth, city aesthetics and overall living standards in the state.