JOE EFFIONG, UYO
Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Emmanuel Ehanire has pledged preparedness of the Federal Government to strengthen capacity and respond to health threats in Nigeria.
The minister made the commendation at the inauguration of projects at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo, on Friday
The projects inaugurated by the minister include molecular laboratory complex, new oxygen plant, patients clinic complex and medical out patients clinic.
Others were: surgical out patients clinic , orthopaedic out patients clinic, genealogy, pharmacy/ laboratory unit, radiology complex, renovated and re – equipped intensive care complex- all funded by the federal government under COVID -19 funds .
The minister who expressed satisfaction with management of the hospital, compared the trajectory of development in the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital to that of one of the frontline hospitals in India.
He said the many projects commissioned was a reflection of the federal government’s commitment to provide modern equipped health care centers to citizens in fulfilment of its mandate to Nigeria.
“Your projects here were carried out during Covid -19, and the infrastructure that you have invited us to commission today are commendable and I praise the CMD, Chairman of the board and the entire team for their leadership , their foresight and dedication.
“All these projects have the federal government backing and were meant to improve lives and address public health threats which Nigerians faced constantly , as well as assist in preventing infectious diseases.
“These commissioned projects have the capacity to respond to all health threats. We are informed of ongoing project and we believe that all these have the potential to improve the quality of diagnostic and therapeutic services offered by the UUTH” he said
On concerns about brain drain in the nation’s health sector, the minister assured that the Federal Ministry of Health has now introduced a one-to-one policy that would allow a Chief Medical Director to make an immediate replacement of a doctor or nurse who is permanently out of service.
“This policy is to enable the federal government address gap in manpower in health sector in the federal civil service. CMDs should be careful not to abuse this policy as this has thwarted the process when newly introduced where one doctor leaves and the management brought in a dozen unrelated persons which over crowded the hospitals”. He said
Speaking earlier, the Chief Medical Director, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Prof Ememabasi Bassey said the infrastructural renaissance in the Teaching Hospital came through his initial assessment on assumption of office four years ago, which throw up indications that the hospital had not kept pace with expected transition in the tertiary healthcare sector.
Prof Bassey said; “When we took over, we undertook the first line of assessment of the hospital to identify all the challenges and profer solutions and then set up a new mission and vision for the hospital.
“Hon minister Sir , today you will be commissioning a number of projects in the hospital which include; the molecular laboratory complex, one is for the HIV programme and the other was funded by the federal government as part of the COVID -19 intervention funds.
“New oxygen plant which was donated by the federal ministry of health, patients clinic complex, this complex holds all out -patients clinic which contains; the general out patients clinic, the medical out patients clinic, surgical out patients clinic , Orthopaedic out patients clinic, genealogy, pharmacy/ Laboratory unit, all in this complex, Radiology complex, renovated and re – equipped intensive care complex, this was also funded by the federal government under Covid -19 funds
“Others are; two new Ambulances which is our demonstration of readiness to support national emergency medical ambulance scheme, Hospital Gatehouse /security post which few years ago was not a good reflection of a teaching hospital, internal roads which is funded by the hospital management in partnership with FERMA, Expansion of water complex capacity to over two hundred thousand litters , we are grateful to the federal government
“As a matter of policy, this administration did not embark on new projects until we complete or taken to an advanced stage all abandoned projects on ground.
“Today you will also inspect other new projects which include the laboratory complex which is almost completely constructed, the stroke center, donated by a foundation in collaboration with the hospital, the infection isolation and treatment center build by the NCDC, and the newly constructed antenatal building extension.” The CMD said.