Abel Leonard, lafia
Dr Hassan Ikrama, Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH), Lafia has advised patients and their relatives to report to the management, any staff seeking to divert them to private hospitals.
The CMD made the call on Wednesday in Lafia, while hosting the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nasarawa State Council.
According to him, the call became imperative due to reports on the activities of some staff said to be in the habit of diverting patients to their own private hospitals.
“All departments in the hospital have been strengthened to cater for the increasing health needs of their patients.
“Staff in the habit of diverting patients must stop that because anyone caught would face severe sanctions,” he said.
Ikrama said that when he was appointed as the CMD, he discovered many leakages in the finances of the facility which needed to be blocked.
“Instead of the internally generated revenue of the hospital to improve, individuals were busy diverting it to private hospital which affected service delivery.
“The hospital, prior to my coming, was lacking so many machines. It had only one theatre, 200 beds, one clinic and insufficient offices for doctors.
“That was why most patients were being referred to either Jos`University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, or National Hospital, Abuja.
READ ALSO DASH performs over 10 surgeries daily – CMD
“We took up that challenge and were able to increase the number of theatres to three, clinics to eight and scanning machines from one to eight.
“Other initiatives to reposition the hospital included the provision of 200 additional beds, renovation of wards, toilets, among others,” he said.
He added that more technical and other specialist staff had been employed to strengthen services to patients.
“We have 40 permanent consultants; we also have other visiting consultants in different fields. There 100 Doctors apart from Nurses, Pharmacists and Laboratory Technicians, among others.
“We have also acquired a brand new digital X-ray machine and can now undertake services for which we used to refer patients to Keffi or Jos,” he added.
Ikrama, therefore, assured members of the public that the management of the hospital would do everything possible to improve service delivery.
Earlier, Mr Isaac Upkoju, Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, had said that the visit was to familiarise the newsmen with the management of the hospital.
“What we have seen here is impressive. We are impressed with the level of facilities, manpower as well as the achievements recorded by the hospital under the CMD,” he said.
Upkoju added that the chapel would continue to serve as a link between the hospital and the public by reporting its achievements; and short comings where necessary, for improved service delivery.
