By Abel Leonard/ Lafia
Nasarawa State continues to come alive in accordance with the generational cliché that reads “Health is wealth”. The health sector being a critical part of the economy has in the last two and half years in Nasarawa State remained revamped, owing to its limitless worth to human existence. The health sector’s enormous significance makes it most needful and actively prioritized among other critical sectors of human development.
Before the assumption of office of Dr. Ikrama Hassan as Chief Medical Director of DASH, there was no gainsaying in the poor medical and health activities of the personnel, resulting from facility inadequacy, funding, revenue generation, lame physician-patient relationship, capacity building of staff among other critical challenges that dwarfed Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital’s growth to meet up with global best practices especially some of its contemporaries in the country.
Dr. Ikrama Hassan, from his assumption of office as CMD, in the last two years, has succeeded in the revitalization of the once economically insignificant hospital as the state government prioritizes the health sector with:
Building and furnishing of a befitting ophthalmology complex, the construction of two theatres as well the casualty theatre Renovation and expansion of the obstetrics and gynaecology complex, neonatal unit and the paediatrics complex, furnishing and putting into use the Multi-clinic and the administrative complex of DASH, its radiology complex now boasts of modern facilities and professionals, Overhaul of the laboratory sample collection centre, General Outpatient Department and Pharmacy complex of DASH, Provision of additional befitting staff quarters with all conveniences, Renovation of old casualty wing, Upgrading of DASH central sterile supply department and construction of walk ways to the surgical and medical complexes and equipping of medical and surgical complexes.
The Nasarawa State Government under Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule’s unrelenting efforts is developing the health sector with plethoric accomplishments. These achievements are ambitious and well-thought out, giving more vigour to Dr. Ikrama Hassan to spotlight the challenges in the sector, correct them and to manage DASH professionally with an unbelieving determination.
Interestingly, the stretch of cutting-edge accomplishments being witnessed at the Nasarawa State Government-controlled Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital under the stewardship of the present Chief medical director of the DASH, Dr. Ikrama Hassan, has remarkably expressed priceless worth of health needs and the political will given to the health sector.
At present, Dr. Ikrama Hassan had, on the request of His Excellency, Governor Abdullahi Sule, employed medical and non-medical professionals into the numerous departments of DASH in his resolve to reestablish the hospital.
Human resource development has unfailingly been accorded prioritized attention for an enhanced service delivery, physician-patient relationship, welfare and safety of staff ever since Dr. Ikrama Hassan assumed office as Chief Medical Director of the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia.
Dr. Ikrama has frontally overcome the challenges of the hospital, as he has championed the cause of necessitating the accreditation of the Obstetrics and gynaecology department, Family medicine department, Internal medicine department, Surgery and paediatrics departments by the West African Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons to commence postgraduate training in the state.
This is with a view to improving the healthcare service delivery system in line with Governor Abdullahi Sule’s vision of having a competitive and ambitious health sector.
Recently, the station Manager, Nigeria Television Authority, Lafia, Alhaji, Sani Ibn Salyu promised to create synergy between DASH and NTA towards ensuring the accessibility of healthcare delivery to the people of the Nasarawa State.
The manager stated this when he paid a courtesy call to the management of Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, to familiarize and seek for more collaboration with the hospital expressing satisfaction with the present CMD’s achievement in the past two and half years adding that it is a ground breaking transformation of the hospital within this short period.
Because of the uncommon effort put in place by the CMD, the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, laboratories is among forty (40) laboratories to benefit from Gene x- pert optimization project sponsored by Global fund, through the Management Science Health in Nigeria. Speaking recently in Lafia, a representative of Halim and Associates and consultant handling the project, Eng. Yahaya Halim Yusuf said the project is meant to ensure optimal utilization of the Gene X-pert laboratories across the country with the help of solar power supply that will ensure stable and adequate power supply to the Gene X-pert laboratories which World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation for TB testing and are also used to deliver high quality testing of other pathogens.
Medical lab Scientist in charge of the Gene X-pert lab in the hospital MLS Jabes also expressed happiness with the project which he said is already benefiting the lab, supplying the two Gene X-pert machines and other equipment in the laboratory with constant power.
Examining the fight against the recent variant of covid 19, the CMD pleaded with resident doctors who threaten to shut down the hospital not to do so as the experience from the first wave of covid-19 pandemic response showed that full scale shut down will result in much more avoidable deaths from other treatable emergencies than desired saying it is the most trying period for the hospital having to deal with rising rate of infection in the community, among its workforce and disruption of services.
He therefore call on the leadership of Resident Doctors to have a rethink whenever theybare to engage on a strike action as it will affect the total health care services in the state as it threatens to allow more deaths to arise in the state, adding hat the management have strengthen the workforce in the various departments by requesting all resident doctors on supernumerary postings to return in order to augment the workforce to maintain services to its staff as well as the good people of Nasarawa state.
The CMD also gave assurance of better welfare packages as the hospital have mobilised funds to implement agreement made to improve the robust plans whose primary aim is the protection of its staff.
Engr. Abdullahi Sule in his sterling development plan, has put up a world class Nasarawa Infectious Disease Control, Diagnosis and Research Centre that would complement the efforts of DASH in diagnosis and prevention of diseases, which will place DASH on an enviable pedestal. This composition of the research centre is one of its kind in the whole of the 19 northern state of the country.
Dr. Ikrama Hassan, Chief Medical Director of Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital has in a short time of two and half years, walked the talk of the Nasarawa State Government and its people towards a competitive health sector to compete jealously with its peers in line with global best practices, to meet up with the government and its people’s attention in the healthcare development blueprint of the Nasarawa State Government.
