EKSUTH: The making of world-class institution
Ekiti State residents have access to good healthcare
delivery following a gradual but thorough transformation of the major
hospital in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital from a state hospital that had
just one consultant to a teaching hospital that now boasts of many
consultants in major fields of medicine. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports.
Health care delivery is one of the major components of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) and one of the most important indices of
standard of living of any populace.
The health of the population should be of paramount concern to any responsible government because it has far-reaching effects on the productivity of its citizens.
That is why government at all levels deploy enormous resources to the health sector in a bid to provide and maintain health facilities, provision of drugs, training and re-training of health personnel, among others.
From the days of Western Region, Western State, old Ondo State to the present-day Ekiti State, healthcare delivery had occupied a front burner in government’s commitment to the welfare of the citizens.
This explains why the former Military Governor of Old Western State, Maj- General (then Brigadier) Robert Adeyinka Adebayo built and inaugurated a district hospital for Ekiti on March 9, 1971 to cater for the increasing population of Ado-Ekiti then.
At the time it was inaugurated, the hospital had very limited facilities and manpower and was patronised by people from all parts of Ekiti as many towns and villages then lacked such a facility they could make use of in times of emergency.
But the mustard seed planted by Adebayo was nurtured by successive administrations and it has grown to a big tertiary hospital which competes favourably with its counterparts in the West African sub-region.
As it widens its scope, operations and the number of patients patronising it, it was transformed into general hospital in the Second Republic, specialist hospital and now teaching hospital.
Attaining such status resulted from long, winding process of its evaluation and readiness to provide sound training for future medical personnel and availability of the required facilities, among others.
As the population of the city and, by extension, the state widen and the quest for medical education increases, the administration of former Governor Segun Oni saw the need to upgrade the hospital to a teaching hospital to meet these needs; hence the establishment of the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Ado-Ekiti.
The Kayode Fayemi administration, which built on the foundation laid by the Oni regime by providing more facilities for it, even as it renamed the institution Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) following the consolidation of the three hitherto state-owned universities into one.
The current Ayo Fayose administration is also spreading the tentacles of the operations of EKSUTH to the grassroots with the recent approval of the takeover of the Joan Taiwo Daramola Hospital, Ire-Ekiti by EKSUTH management to make quality healthcare delivery available to many communities in Oye and Irepodun/Ifelodun local government areas.
With the upgrade and transformation of the hospital from a “glorified state specialist hospital to a teaching hospital”, the inconveniences experienced by patients on referrals to tertiary health institutions in nearby states have been consigned to history.
Critical surgical operations that were not hitherto performed in the state can now be enjoyed by needy patients at EKSUTH as a result of the commitment of the state government and members of staff of the hospital.
EKSUTH took off officially on April 1, 2008 with a mission “to preserve and improve the dignity of human life through the provision of a comprehensive programme of quality patient care, academic excellence and innovative research environment that is respectful of others.”
This is to make the teaching hospital operate uniquely in a friendly environment without compromising quality. The institution has been forging ahead in the actualisation of its mission despite the enormous challenges.
Up till March 31, 2008, the hospital had only one Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) consultant in the person of Dr. O. Olajuyin and other supporting staff.
The change in status on April 1, 2008 was effected with the aim of serving as the clinical laboratory for the College Medicine of the Ekiti State University Ado-Ekiti.
The pioneer Acting Medical Director of EKSUTH, Dr. Patrick Adegun, a consultant Urologist assumed office in April, 2008. He became a substantive Chief Medical Director in July, 2010.
The first management board of the hospital was inaugurated in March, 2010 by the Oni-led government. The board was chaired by an emeritus Prof., Adelola Adeloye; a Neurologist.
In order to achieve its primary objectives in service, research and training, an administrative structure comparable to other teaching hospitals was put in place to superintend its day-to-day activities.
In January, 2010, the Ophthalmology Department of the hospital was inaugurated. The centre was successfully manned by Cuban eye specialists for 15 months as their Nigerian counterparts understudied them.
On June 15, 2010, the Ophthalmology Department made surgical history by successfully repairing retinal detachment in a young female undergraduate of the Ekiti State University, Ado–Ekiti.
The Ophthalmology Department has been acclaimed to be one of the best in Africa by the West African College of Surgeons (WACS).
With its short period of existence, EKSUTH has modified, renovated and constructed modern buildings on the premises of the old specialist hospital which it inherited.
A new expansive accident and emergency building was built, equipped and inaugurated. This facility is currently providing an ideal setting for the operation of emergencies comparable to any world-class accident and emergency complex in the world.
The complex is a mini-hospital as it has 50-bed wards–male and female, medicine and surgery, a triage room, a gynaecological ward, a state-of-the-art theatre, a large reception area, a pharmacy outlet, a radiology room, a plasta–room, a conference room for doctors and paramedics.
The maternity complex has undergone lots of modification and repairs. The complex boasts twin-theatre suites for emergency obstetrics care, elective obstetrics and gynaecology cases.
It also has a modern ultra-sound machine, resurcituire and cardiogram. Water is available 24 hours as the complex has the management sunk some boreholes for it.
Also, new modern mobile beds were procured to replace the old rusty ones inherited from the specialist hospital at the natal, post-natal and isolation wards of the maternity.
The Mental Health Department (psychiatry) has been relocated to a newly completed building with the needed infrastructure. A modern laboratory was built and equipped with the internally-generated revenue of the hospital. The laboratory complex houses the haematology, histopathology, chemical pathology, anatomic pathology departments of the hospital.
Currently, the hospital boasts consultants in all areas of specialization and eight Professors.
Over and above this, the management prioritises staff welfare.
Also, a capacity building committee has been put in place to enable members of staff to attend trainings, workshops and seminars periodically to update their knowledge in various areas of endeavours.
The Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, Ophthalmology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology departments have been accredited by the West African College of Physician and West African College of Surgeons respectively; while other clinical departments have applied to these colleges for accreditation.
The automation of the departments and units of the hospital has begun at the Directorate of Accounts; with a view to extending same to other sections.
These departments would be linked to Medical Record Department, General Outpatient Department, Specialist Clinics, Accident and Emergency, Pharmacy, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Main Theatre and the Data Bank of the Ministry of Health.
The automation aims at achieving paperless consultation, prescription and record retrieval.
As part of the management’s development effort, the TUR equipment was procured to kick-start the endoscopy unit while business districts were created at the general out-patient and medical wards.
There are four suites complete with anaesthetic machines, bed monitors, suctioning machines as well as recovery room at the main theatre.
A new Mammogram Centre, named after the late Funmi Adunni Olayinka, a former Deputy Governor of the State who died of cancer in April, 2013 was put in place.
The centre is equipped with state-of-the-art GE mammogram machine, scanning machine, cosposcopy and endoscopy machines, echo-cardiogram machine as well as gymnasium equipment.
On July 29, last year, Dr Adigun completed his tenure and was succeeded by Dr. Kolawole Ogundipe, a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon and chairman, Medical Advisory Committee.
Upon assumption in office as the CMD, Dr. Ogundipe set out to reposition the hospital as the ‘preferred health care centre of excellence of world standard”.
The hospital’s vision changed to “to be the “preferred referred centre for quality, affordable tertiary health care, ethical medical research and training in Nigeria”.
The mission statement changed to “to provide quality, affordable tertiary health care topical medical research and ethical training services for our stakeholders with innovative technological processes and personnel integrity”.
The CMD identified three essential components of a teaching hospital which are training, services and research. He worked towards increasing the internally-generated revenue of the hospital by blocking all financial drain pipes.
Dr. Ogundipe made accountability, prudence and transparency his watchword. This has tremendously increased the internally-generated revenue of the hospital while the monthly subvention has also increased.
Achievements recorded by EKSUTH management under Dr. Ogundipe’s leadership include restoration of the accreditation status of the School of Midwifery. The West African College of Surgeons (WACS) granted full accreditation to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in EKSUTH.
Renovation of the burnt administrative block of the School of Nursing, construction of Works Department, construction of the General Outpatient Department Annex building, construction of EKSUTH library and renovation of School of Midwifery hostels, construction of Patients’ Pavilion, construction and staffing of the new laboratory reception, setting up of a two-bedded intensive care unit (ICU) at the main theatre, intra-hospital communication system and opening of a well-furnished patients’ waiting area at the maternity complex are some of the achievements of the hospital under Ogundipe.
The rest are renovation and re-organisation of the Specialist Outpatients’ Clinic, renovation of the Radiology Department and renovation of the old Accident and Emergency Department to accommodate the Health Information Management Department.
The Directorate of Administration was restructured for better performance while the management has succeeded in maintaining industrial harmony with various unions in the hospital.
Some of the patients, their associates and family members praised the turnaround of EKSUTH which they noted has rubbed off positively on people seeking quality health care services.
To Mrs. Celina Olojede, services at EKSUTH have improved as against what obtained in the past, urging the authorities not to rest on their oars.
“We commend the successive administrations for their contributions in making this hospital what it is today,” she said.
Another visitor, Ademola Onifade, commended the staff of EKSUTH for their commitment to service delivery, even as he advised that they should not rest on their oars if the health institution would sustain the momentum.
“The members of staff are trying their best possible, especially with the employment of more doctors in various fields. My area of concern is frequent visits to the cash centres to make payments for everything purchased in the hospital.
“I advocate that the points of payment be decentralised so as to reduce the stress we go through in making one payment or the other. Though the step was taken to ensure accountability, our convenience should also be taken into consideration”, Onifade pleaded.
Speaking with Southwest Report, Dele Osatimehin said he was impressed with the infrastructural development at EKSUTH; especially the new Accident and Emergency Ward.
He said: “I know how Accident and Emergency Ward here used to be but this ultra-modern one built has helped in reducing loss of lives.
“This is how an Accident and Emergency Ward should be. The former one was an eyesore. It shows that Ekiti State is no longer a backwater state and our people deserve the best.”
Commenting on the EKSUTH Ophthalmology Centre, an eye patient, Pa James Ajogbeje, explained that he didn’t know that such a facility existed at the hospital until a relation of his told him to come and be treated of cataract.
“I am a native of Ikere and I have been having problems with my eyes for about 12 years now. It was my nephew who told me that we now have an eye centre in this hospital where my problems can be attended to.
“I came and they conducted tests on me and I was booked for eye surgery. Initially, I was afraid but I was encouraged by the testimonies of others who had been treated,” he said.
Despite the new gains recorded with its upgrade to a teaching hospital, the management is not resting on its oars as it has envisioned various development plans for the future; such as construction of a three-floor building to serve as office and wards for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and a building to accommodate the staff working with the Institute of Human Virology of Nigeria (IHVN).
Also on the cards is an 80-room office complex for consultants and the establishment of a medical oxygen plant trough public-private partnership (PPP) to serve the hospital and others contiguous to it.
There is also need to renovate, expand and equip the Dental Department of the hospital.
But as lofty and laudable the plans of the management are, the major challenge is funding, especially as states and its institutions are grappling with acute financial constraints.
An inside source said: “As good as the management’s plans are, the
money to execute them is not readily available. The monthly subvention
from the state government, though increased recently, is only enough to
pay workers’ salaries.”
Despite the challenges, EKSUTH has upped the ante and taken health care delivery, medical research and training of future manpower to another level and the people of Ekiti State are yearning for more.
The health of the population should be of paramount concern to any responsible government because it has far-reaching effects on the productivity of its citizens.
That is why government at all levels deploy enormous resources to the health sector in a bid to provide and maintain health facilities, provision of drugs, training and re-training of health personnel, among others.
From the days of Western Region, Western State, old Ondo State to the present-day Ekiti State, healthcare delivery had occupied a front burner in government’s commitment to the welfare of the citizens.
This explains why the former Military Governor of Old Western State, Maj- General (then Brigadier) Robert Adeyinka Adebayo built and inaugurated a district hospital for Ekiti on March 9, 1971 to cater for the increasing population of Ado-Ekiti then.
At the time it was inaugurated, the hospital had very limited facilities and manpower and was patronised by people from all parts of Ekiti as many towns and villages then lacked such a facility they could make use of in times of emergency.
But the mustard seed planted by Adebayo was nurtured by successive administrations and it has grown to a big tertiary hospital which competes favourably with its counterparts in the West African sub-region.
As it widens its scope, operations and the number of patients patronising it, it was transformed into general hospital in the Second Republic, specialist hospital and now teaching hospital.
Attaining such status resulted from long, winding process of its evaluation and readiness to provide sound training for future medical personnel and availability of the required facilities, among others.
As the population of the city and, by extension, the state widen and the quest for medical education increases, the administration of former Governor Segun Oni saw the need to upgrade the hospital to a teaching hospital to meet these needs; hence the establishment of the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Ado-Ekiti.
The Kayode Fayemi administration, which built on the foundation laid by the Oni regime by providing more facilities for it, even as it renamed the institution Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) following the consolidation of the three hitherto state-owned universities into one.
The current Ayo Fayose administration is also spreading the tentacles of the operations of EKSUTH to the grassroots with the recent approval of the takeover of the Joan Taiwo Daramola Hospital, Ire-Ekiti by EKSUTH management to make quality healthcare delivery available to many communities in Oye and Irepodun/Ifelodun local government areas.
With the upgrade and transformation of the hospital from a “glorified state specialist hospital to a teaching hospital”, the inconveniences experienced by patients on referrals to tertiary health institutions in nearby states have been consigned to history.
Critical surgical operations that were not hitherto performed in the state can now be enjoyed by needy patients at EKSUTH as a result of the commitment of the state government and members of staff of the hospital.
EKSUTH took off officially on April 1, 2008 with a mission “to preserve and improve the dignity of human life through the provision of a comprehensive programme of quality patient care, academic excellence and innovative research environment that is respectful of others.”
This is to make the teaching hospital operate uniquely in a friendly environment without compromising quality. The institution has been forging ahead in the actualisation of its mission despite the enormous challenges.
Up till March 31, 2008, the hospital had only one Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) consultant in the person of Dr. O. Olajuyin and other supporting staff.
The change in status on April 1, 2008 was effected with the aim of serving as the clinical laboratory for the College Medicine of the Ekiti State University Ado-Ekiti.
The pioneer Acting Medical Director of EKSUTH, Dr. Patrick Adegun, a consultant Urologist assumed office in April, 2008. He became a substantive Chief Medical Director in July, 2010.
The first management board of the hospital was inaugurated in March, 2010 by the Oni-led government. The board was chaired by an emeritus Prof., Adelola Adeloye; a Neurologist.
In order to achieve its primary objectives in service, research and training, an administrative structure comparable to other teaching hospitals was put in place to superintend its day-to-day activities.
In January, 2010, the Ophthalmology Department of the hospital was inaugurated. The centre was successfully manned by Cuban eye specialists for 15 months as their Nigerian counterparts understudied them.
On June 15, 2010, the Ophthalmology Department made surgical history by successfully repairing retinal detachment in a young female undergraduate of the Ekiti State University, Ado–Ekiti.
The Ophthalmology Department has been acclaimed to be one of the best in Africa by the West African College of Surgeons (WACS).
With its short period of existence, EKSUTH has modified, renovated and constructed modern buildings on the premises of the old specialist hospital which it inherited.
A new expansive accident and emergency building was built, equipped and inaugurated. This facility is currently providing an ideal setting for the operation of emergencies comparable to any world-class accident and emergency complex in the world.
The complex is a mini-hospital as it has 50-bed wards–male and female, medicine and surgery, a triage room, a gynaecological ward, a state-of-the-art theatre, a large reception area, a pharmacy outlet, a radiology room, a plasta–room, a conference room for doctors and paramedics.
The maternity complex has undergone lots of modification and repairs. The complex boasts twin-theatre suites for emergency obstetrics care, elective obstetrics and gynaecology cases.
It also has a modern ultra-sound machine, resurcituire and cardiogram. Water is available 24 hours as the complex has the management sunk some boreholes for it.
Also, new modern mobile beds were procured to replace the old rusty ones inherited from the specialist hospital at the natal, post-natal and isolation wards of the maternity.
The Mental Health Department (psychiatry) has been relocated to a newly completed building with the needed infrastructure. A modern laboratory was built and equipped with the internally-generated revenue of the hospital. The laboratory complex houses the haematology, histopathology, chemical pathology, anatomic pathology departments of the hospital.
Currently, the hospital boasts consultants in all areas of specialization and eight Professors.
Over and above this, the management prioritises staff welfare.
Also, a capacity building committee has been put in place to enable members of staff to attend trainings, workshops and seminars periodically to update their knowledge in various areas of endeavours.
The Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, Ophthalmology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology departments have been accredited by the West African College of Physician and West African College of Surgeons respectively; while other clinical departments have applied to these colleges for accreditation.
The automation of the departments and units of the hospital has begun at the Directorate of Accounts; with a view to extending same to other sections.
These departments would be linked to Medical Record Department, General Outpatient Department, Specialist Clinics, Accident and Emergency, Pharmacy, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Main Theatre and the Data Bank of the Ministry of Health.
The automation aims at achieving paperless consultation, prescription and record retrieval.
As part of the management’s development effort, the TUR equipment was procured to kick-start the endoscopy unit while business districts were created at the general out-patient and medical wards.
There are four suites complete with anaesthetic machines, bed monitors, suctioning machines as well as recovery room at the main theatre.
A new Mammogram Centre, named after the late Funmi Adunni Olayinka, a former Deputy Governor of the State who died of cancer in April, 2013 was put in place.
The centre is equipped with state-of-the-art GE mammogram machine, scanning machine, cosposcopy and endoscopy machines, echo-cardiogram machine as well as gymnasium equipment.
On July 29, last year, Dr Adigun completed his tenure and was succeeded by Dr. Kolawole Ogundipe, a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon and chairman, Medical Advisory Committee.
Upon assumption in office as the CMD, Dr. Ogundipe set out to reposition the hospital as the ‘preferred health care centre of excellence of world standard”.
The hospital’s vision changed to “to be the “preferred referred centre for quality, affordable tertiary health care, ethical medical research and training in Nigeria”.
The mission statement changed to “to provide quality, affordable tertiary health care topical medical research and ethical training services for our stakeholders with innovative technological processes and personnel integrity”.
The CMD identified three essential components of a teaching hospital which are training, services and research. He worked towards increasing the internally-generated revenue of the hospital by blocking all financial drain pipes.
Dr. Ogundipe made accountability, prudence and transparency his watchword. This has tremendously increased the internally-generated revenue of the hospital while the monthly subvention has also increased.
Achievements recorded by EKSUTH management under Dr. Ogundipe’s leadership include restoration of the accreditation status of the School of Midwifery. The West African College of Surgeons (WACS) granted full accreditation to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in EKSUTH.
Renovation of the burnt administrative block of the School of Nursing, construction of Works Department, construction of the General Outpatient Department Annex building, construction of EKSUTH library and renovation of School of Midwifery hostels, construction of Patients’ Pavilion, construction and staffing of the new laboratory reception, setting up of a two-bedded intensive care unit (ICU) at the main theatre, intra-hospital communication system and opening of a well-furnished patients’ waiting area at the maternity complex are some of the achievements of the hospital under Ogundipe.
The rest are renovation and re-organisation of the Specialist Outpatients’ Clinic, renovation of the Radiology Department and renovation of the old Accident and Emergency Department to accommodate the Health Information Management Department.
The Directorate of Administration was restructured for better performance while the management has succeeded in maintaining industrial harmony with various unions in the hospital.
Some of the patients, their associates and family members praised the turnaround of EKSUTH which they noted has rubbed off positively on people seeking quality health care services.
To Mrs. Celina Olojede, services at EKSUTH have improved as against what obtained in the past, urging the authorities not to rest on their oars.
“We commend the successive administrations for their contributions in making this hospital what it is today,” she said.
Another visitor, Ademola Onifade, commended the staff of EKSUTH for their commitment to service delivery, even as he advised that they should not rest on their oars if the health institution would sustain the momentum.
“The members of staff are trying their best possible, especially with the employment of more doctors in various fields. My area of concern is frequent visits to the cash centres to make payments for everything purchased in the hospital.
“I advocate that the points of payment be decentralised so as to reduce the stress we go through in making one payment or the other. Though the step was taken to ensure accountability, our convenience should also be taken into consideration”, Onifade pleaded.
Speaking with Southwest Report, Dele Osatimehin said he was impressed with the infrastructural development at EKSUTH; especially the new Accident and Emergency Ward.
He said: “I know how Accident and Emergency Ward here used to be but this ultra-modern one built has helped in reducing loss of lives.
“This is how an Accident and Emergency Ward should be. The former one was an eyesore. It shows that Ekiti State is no longer a backwater state and our people deserve the best.”
Commenting on the EKSUTH Ophthalmology Centre, an eye patient, Pa James Ajogbeje, explained that he didn’t know that such a facility existed at the hospital until a relation of his told him to come and be treated of cataract.
“I am a native of Ikere and I have been having problems with my eyes for about 12 years now. It was my nephew who told me that we now have an eye centre in this hospital where my problems can be attended to.
“I came and they conducted tests on me and I was booked for eye surgery. Initially, I was afraid but I was encouraged by the testimonies of others who had been treated,” he said.
Despite the new gains recorded with its upgrade to a teaching hospital, the management is not resting on its oars as it has envisioned various development plans for the future; such as construction of a three-floor building to serve as office and wards for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and a building to accommodate the staff working with the Institute of Human Virology of Nigeria (IHVN).
Also on the cards is an 80-room office complex for consultants and the establishment of a medical oxygen plant trough public-private partnership (PPP) to serve the hospital and others contiguous to it.
There is also need to renovate, expand and equip the Dental Department of the hospital.
But as lofty and laudable the plans of the management are, the major challenge is funding, especially as states and its institutions are grappling with acute financial constraints.
Despite the challenges, EKSUTH has upped the ante and taken health care delivery, medical research and training of future manpower to another level and the people of Ekiti State are yearning for more.
Comments
Post a Comment