Chinedum Treasure
Chief Medical Director, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Prof Joseph Ugboaja has assured that era of loss of lives in the health facility due to negligence of medical personnel was over.
He blamed such ugly incidents on poor and unfriendly work environment at the hospital’s former location which affected attitude of most personnel, assuring that such experiences were history with the state-of-art equipment and healthy environment at the permanent site.
Ugbaja spoke at a post press briefing following celebration of the 1st Anniversary of the official commissioning of the Permanent site, complete relocation of the hospital units and the maiden visit of the Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate.
He said, “Prior to my coming on board, the hospital was operating in a small space with 300 bed capacity with old and debilitated buildings with obsolete equipment.
“This space constraint limited greatly the volume and quality of care available to the patient. It also brought about poor and uncomfortable work environment leading to poor staff attitude to work. The overall impact was a poor rating of our hospital both locally and nationally.
“Our narrative then was largely negative because everywhere was congested and workers were not happy. We won’t expect such behavior here, those attitudes now belong to the past.
“I can assure you in this new facility, with the state of the art equipment, conducive environment and ambience, such occurrence will not happen. But if per chance it happens, be sure the system will interrogate it, because it won’t be business as usual.
On whether the relocation to the permanent site had reduced number of patients at the facility, especially in view of its distance from the old site, Ugboaja said the hospital was experiencing population explosion contrary to expectations.
“At the old site, we were not admitting patients for lack of space. Infact, we were turning patients back on daily basis. People scheduled for surgery were not attended to months after. It was obvious we had more than enough patients. Yet, doctors and nurses were there to work.
“The first movement in 2021 was our clinics which we experimented with. Our out-patients tripled, if not five times the number by the end of same year.
“But presently, the entire wards are filled up and more are still coming. Because healthcare is service based, once you have what people need, they will come, regardless of the distance. Meanwhile, Governor Soludo has assisted us with various roads linking the hospital.
“People are happy to identify with the facility. Here is also close to some other people living within the area. Besides, the traffic we used to experience accessing the old site is no longer an issue here.
The CMD further assured assured soon recruitment of health workers to meet up with the manpower deficit.
“Part of why we insisted that the Health Minister visited the hospital was for him to have a direct feel of the facility so if we’re requesting for more staff, he can appreciate it better.
“Before he left, he assured me he was going to do something about recruitment because he saw the wards, some of which are still not in use for lack of manpower.
“Before he came, we had already applied for waiver and he started processing it. Though it will take a while before the approval, but the process had already started,” he assured.
On what gave him the courage to forge ahead with the relocation amidst challenges, Ugboaja attributed the motivation to divine intervention, determination as well as quality of his team.
His words, “It’s only God that knows where the courage to relocate to the permanent site came from. It was a determination driven by faith.
“We drafted a new vision and strategic plan, gathered a team, not based on familiarity and relationships, but on ability to deliver, willingness to make the needed sacrifice and tenacity to pursue the vision.
“If someone had told me that within two to three years of assumption of office we will come here, I wouldn’t have believed him. We simply made ourselves available and God took over.
“I see our coming on board this time as when God wanted to intervene in the affairs of NAUTH. And He was the same one that caused men from all walks of life to provide the resources.”
About Author
