The Acting Chief Medical Director, Omu-Aran General Hospital, Kwara, Dr. Kolawole Ibrahim, on Monday said the hospital was now fully equipped and upgraded to admit 120 patients conveniently.

Ibrahim told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Omu-Aran that the feat was due to a recent intervention by the state government.

He said that the intervention, through the state Rural Health Rehabilitation Scheme, had increased the hospital's initial capacity of 96 patients.

NAN reports that admission of patients in the hospital was partially suspended due to the renovation by the state government more than a year ago.

Other hospitals in the same cadre are currently undergoing renovation across the 16 local government areas of the state under the rehabilitation scheme.

''When the renovation work on the hospital got to a climax, we had no option then than to abandon the old building and relocate to Ofe-Aran Health Centre in the town's outskirt.

''At Ofe-Aran, we were only able to admit 10 patients at a time and such admittance was strictly based on the level of a patient's state of health, to utilise space.

''But the good news now is that the hospital presently can now conveniently admit no fewer than 120 patients of different ailments with less difficulty,'' Ibrahim said.

Ibrahim said that some departments in the hospital were still undergoing renovation, adding that most of the works had reached 80 per cent completion stage.

He said that the departments included the generator house, staff quarters and digging of bore holes to provide water for staff.

Ibrahim said that some of the newly-installed equipment for x-ray, laboratory and surgery units were ready to serve patients from other towns like Oro, Oke-Onigbin and Ajase-Ipo.

The medical director expressed satisfaction with the overall level of work done so far.

''No word can express our joy for this honour by the government and to our people across the Kwara South District for their support and understanding," Ibrahim said. (NAN)