By Muhammad Ibrahim, Sokoto
Commending the Hospital as one the most growing tertiary Hospitals in Nigeria,the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire said it is also one the very few Federal Hospitals he had occasion to visit in over two years.
He assured the management of the Hospital commitment of the present administration to continuously improve quality of healthcare in Nigeria to meet the highest standards found anywhere in the world as not everyone has the desire or means to travel abroad for treatment and called on Doctors,Nurses and care providers to bear in mind and commit to the stated objective of excellence in service delivery to Nigerians.
Earlier in his speech, the Chief Medical Director of Usman Danfodio University Teaching Hospital, Professor Anas Ahmad Sabir disclosed that among the projects to be commissioned are the newly established Nuclear Medicine Department, newly constructed Brachytherapy Center,Cardiothoraxic Center, Upgraded Intensive Care Unit,Multipurpose Center, Female students hostel,Molecular Laboratory,Renovated Trauma Center and Renovated Accident and Emergency Department among others.
He said the Hospital is strategically located to serve as referral Center for the catchment States of Sokoto,Kebbi and Zamfara.Professor Ana’s also said the Hospital has 900 bed capacity with 2462 total number of staff and 136 Consultants/Specialists adding that in 2021 alone,19,934 were adm8tted into the Hospital while 71,220 patients were seen in the outpatient Clinics.
Anas also disclosed that since the inception of the present management in 2018, they had consolidated on the achievement of his predecessor in the provision of different specialty services in the Hospital, praising self that the Cardiothoraxic Center in collaboration with Muhammad VI University Teaching Hospital Marrakesh,Morocco, World Muslim Leaque and Cardiothoracic Center Association of Nigeria has successfully conducted Open Heart Surgeries to over 15 patients.
He then appreciated the improved budgetary allocation support by the Minister and Special Intervention Projects that gives the Hospital Management the ability to execute projects to be commissioned today.
While enumerating the challenges, the Chief Medical Director said inadequate manpower to meet up with the current physical development which HSA worsened with the current braindrain, high cost of energy and unstability leading to frequent breakdown of expensive machines and aging amenities among others.
Relatively in2021, the Federal Executive Council according to the Minister, approval was granted for the construction, procurement and installation of a linear accelerator and magnetic resonance imaging machines for UDUTH adding that the modern medical equipment will improve diagnostic and management of cancer,neurosurgery and orthopaedics cases.
The Minister also revealed that, the government is monitoring the outbreak of monkey pox,which is causing anxiety around the world thereby making efforts to enlighten public on the dangers of the disease and its spread.
He then congratulate the Board and Hospital Management for achieving so much in their tenure.
