Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe

The Gombe State Government has awarded a contract for the construction of N140 million oxygen and gas plant.
Dr Kennedy Ishaya, the state Commissioner for Health, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Wednesday.
Ishaya said the contract was awarded to Sauki Equipment Company and the duration for the completion is 30 weeks.
According to him, land has been allocated to the company and the construction work is expected to begin in three weeks.
The commissioner said the company would install the machines and cylinders as well as take the maintenance work for one year before handing it over to the state government, after the construction.
He said the company would also train three staff members of the ministry of health who would take over the job after the completion of the one year maintenance.
He further said prior to the establishment of the one at the Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe (FTH) patients at the specialist hospital had to travel to Jos, Plateau, to get the oxygen.
The commissioner said following the increase in demand by 26 general hospitals in the state, the one at FTH became insufficient hence the decision to construct another one by the state government.
“Whenever our hospitals come to FTH to get the oxygen they must join queues while patients are in critical conditions. This informed the decision to construct one,” he explained.