From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
A contender to the office of the Chief Medical Director of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State, and Chairman, Medical and Advisory Committee, Dr Joseph Ugboaja, has declared that his major preoccupation is on how to move the health institution forward.
Dr Ugboaja said that as someone who has been in the system, he has all that it takes and would do everything humanly possible to bring the NAUTH to an enviable position to be the pride of the people in the South-East and Nigeria.
‘NAUTH must be transformed. The staff must sit up. The public outcry against the hospital is not without a basis. We have come to a stage where it’s either you sit up and do your duties very well or you leave the system.
‘It’s the duty of everybody to ensure that NAUTH becomes a centre of excellence. It’s the duty of all of us to ensure that this hospital stands out in the country. All the stakeholders need to come together for the purposes of developing the hospital,’ he stated.
Dr Ugboaja noted that no change comes easy, saying that in spite of a recent ‘obviously sponsored media attacks on him’ he has remained undeterred in the task to transform the hospital.
He maintained that he was aware of an ongoing sponsored media attacks on his person which he insisted are not capable of getting him off the track in his bid to transform the NAUTH for the interest of all insisting that his focus is to transform the hospital to become one of the top-ranking tertiary hospitals in the country, starting with movement to the permanent site and other measures.
He assured that he could not for any reason be distracted at this point by mischief-makers.
‘It is not totally unexpected that individuals who have made the hospital their cash cow will fight any move to positively change the system by sponsoring all sorts of allegations without any proof.
‘But we must all rise and resist them in the interest of this community and its people.
‘It’s unfair to use the death of another to propagate political interest.
‘I plead with all those sponsoring media attacks on me to channel those energies and resources into transforming the hospital instead of wasting their time and resources on unwarranted media attacks against someone who does not deserve that.
‘No change comes easy. But to make an omelette, we must break the egg,’ he concluded.
