Abia State commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Uche, says the government plans to establish a tertiary healthcare facility in each of the state's three senatorial districts.

Uche stated this to newsmen after the governor, Dr Alex Otti flaged off the reconstruction of Umunnato General Hospital, Alayi in Bende local government area of the state.

"This hospital was initially established in 1962. At that time, it was serving the whole of Abia North. Unfortunately, for 40 years, it has been abandoned," according to him.

He said this in infulfilment of the governor's campaign promise that the districts would have such facility to serve as a referral centres for specialized medical care.

"When he took over office, he made it a point of priority that every district must have a tertiary hospital to serve as the pinnacle referral centre.

"And that is to bring specialized care to the doorstep of residents of the state so that nobody is left behind", the commissioner stated.

He said the State University Teaching Hospital, Aba (South); Amachara Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre, Umuahia (Central); and Umunnato (North) had been chosen as the centres.

He informed that consultants are already working towards securing the Joint Commission Internation certification for the facilities in line with the directive of the governor.