… Recounts benefits of Relocation to Permsite, Health Minister’s visit
By Uzo Ugwunze
The Chief Medical Director, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Prof Joseph Ugboaja who described the NAUTH permanent site as the biggest hospital under construction in West Africa has reiterated his resolve to achieve his vision of ensuring that the facility ranks among the best three in Nigeria by year 2030.
Addressing newsmen during a post celebration of the 1st Anniversary of the official commissioning of the Permanent site, the complete relocation of the hospital units and the maiden visit of the Hon Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare(CMOHASW), Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, press briefing at NAUTH, Prof Ugbaja said that the visit was a gainful and bountiful venture.
“Presently, NAUTH permanent site under construction is the biggest hospital in West Africa including sports arena for recreational activities. Armed with our 10 year strategic and development to ensure that NAUTH ranks among the top 3 best teaching hospitals in Nigeria, my team and I embarked on a journey to transform this hospital, enhance the quality of clinical services & medical training, foster research and innovation and ultimately change the landscape of Healthcare delivery in Anambra State and Nigeria at large. After 2-3 years of actively planning, working and evaluating alongside with our stakeholders and partners, we have been able to create a medical complex with an installed capacity of 2000 beds and ancillary facilities including 2 oxygen plants. The completed complexes include the 120 bed Trauma center, the 120 bed Emergency unit; 240 bed medical ward complex; 240 surgical ward complex; 100 bed Paediatric Emergency unit; 120 bed Mother & Child Complex. Other buildings include the GOPD complex, the Specialty building complex; the Radiology complex; Special treatment center and the VIP /Antenatal clinic complex.
“The commissioning of the Permanent site last year by Mr President marked a watershed in our efforts and further strengthened our resolve that our mission is achievable. At the time of commissioning, we had only the clinics running. But one year down the line, we have further completed, furnished and equipped all the hospital wards and units including the emergency units. This involved meticulous and painstaking planning, revenue mobilization, stakeholder engagement, spending and evaluation”.
” Therefore, the 1st year Anniversary celebration gave us an opportunity to commission these new completed projects, celebrate our achievements and modest progress since commissioning, reexamine our strategies and reaffirm our commitment to our vision”.
“The success of that working visit paid by CMOHASW to the Permanent Site of the Teaching Hospital and the relocation of the management and operations of the hospital from the Temporary site to the more specious Permanent site is unquantifiable and a strategic framework carried out through a collaborative efforts between the critical stakeholders, federal Ministry of Health, the state government and the doggedness of the management of the health institution”, said Ugboaja.
Prof. Ugboaja who stated that the achievements and successes made by NAUTH so far are closely aligned with the Nigerian Health Sector Renewal Initiative, NHSRI which he noted was built on four pillars.
He mentioned the four pillars as improving governance of the health sector, enhancing population health outcomes, unlocking the healthcare value chain and ensuring health security.
According to Prof. Ugboaja, “the NHSRI, through the Compact and the Sector-Wide Approach, SWAP emphasizes coordinated efforts between federal and state governments development partners and private sector entities”.
“The integration ensures that resources are effectively utilized and that there is a unified approach to tackling healthcare challenges. The development of NAUTH exemplifies these principles showcasing the power of strategic thinking and partnership through a 10-year development plan aimed at positioning the institutions to be among the top three health facilities in Nigeria by 2030”.
“The remarkable progress at NAUTH has been significantly catalyzed by the visionary leadership of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and the Honourable Coordinating Ministries. Their unwevering support and strategic direction has been instrumental in fostering an environment where ambitious projects like the NAUTH Permanent site can flourish”.
“Their commitment to healthcare excellence in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda, RHA has provided the necessary impetus for transformative initiatives”
“Leadership, according to Simon Sinek, Ugboaja maintained, is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge. This philosophy resonates deeply with leadership shown by President Tinubu and Hon. Pate whose guidance have empowered institutions like NAUTH to strive for excellence”.
“The government’s whole-of-society approach has fostered an environment where private and public sectors collaborate effectively to achieve common goals”.
“The improvements at NAUTH is equivalent of boosting quality healthcare through collaborative funding and insurance coverage as well as being part of a broader strategy to boost quality healthcare across Nigeria. FMOHASW along with its partners is ramping up funding and extending health insurance coverage through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, BHCPF”.
“This initiative aims at strengthening Primary Health Care PHC systems Nationwide ensuring that even the most remote communities have access to essential health services. The expertise and advanced facilities at NAUTH and other secondary and tertiary care centers will greatly benefit PHCs by providing a referral network that ensures continuity of care. Patients can receive primary care at local health centers and be referred to specialized facilities like NAUTH for more complex treatments. This integrated approach enhances the overall healthcare delivery systems, ensuring that all Nigerians receive the care they need.
He said the recent commissioning of the NAUTH Permanent Site is not just a celebration of past accomplishmenrs but a reaffirmation of our commitment toa brighter futurefor healthcare in Anambra state and Nigeria at large. As we look into the future, it is clear that challenges remain that we will require ever more robust collaboration. Continued efforts are necessary to ensure that every Nigerian has access to quality health services.
Ugboaja therefore commended President Tinubu, Hon. Pate, Governor Soludo’s of Anambra state, former Director-General of Budget Office, Ben Akabueze, SSA to Tinubu on SDGs, Adehoke Arelope-Adefulire, the mass media, NAUTH management team, Sir Emeka Offor, Chief Cletus Ibeto and the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah who have contributed immensely towards repositioning NAUTH as it stands today”.
