By Emmanuel Onwusoro
Authorities of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital,EKSUTH, Ado-Ekiti, have said that the patronage of patients to the hospital has been on the increase.
The Chief Medical Director,CMD, Prof. Kayode Olabanji, disclosed this during a press briefing at the hospital against the background of some allegations that the hospital is crisis-ridden and wracked by low patronage of patients.
He said it is necessary to put the records straight because of what an online medium reported concerning affairs in the hospital. Adding that the report gave what is not true to the public,describing it as antithetical to whatever is going on in the hospital.
Prof. Olabanji remarked that contrary to what he referred to as false allegations, the hospital is so blessed with majority of consultants who are medical specialists in diverse areas. “We have more consultants than any other hospital, whether secondary or tertiary. Most of the essential specialists are at the consultant level. Some of our trainees are also qualified and they are joining us”.
He maintained that EKSUTH even has its tentacles of patronage from the adjoining states where patients have always come and declared their preference for treatment at EKSUTH. According to him, statistics also show that the number of patients are increasing.
On mortality rate, the hospital helmsman explained that the hospital is comparable to any similar level teaching hospitals in Nigeria. “There is no truth in any claim that we have worsening rate of mortality. Let us remember that the patients that might come to this hospital must have gone to a private hospital or a primary hospital. And when that patient is gasping or can no longer cope financially, they may ask him/her to come to the teaching hospital here”.
Debunking alleged impending strike by the workers, the CMD remarked,” if a teaching hospital like ours should go on strike, the whole world will know,so we don’t go on strike. If all the other hospitals go on strike, and we are working,people’s mind will be at rest that they have a place to come. We don’t go on strike because of the wonderful assistance we are receiving from the state governor, Biodun Oyebanji”.
Buttressing this further, he posited that as a teaching hospital, the management and the rank and file receive all patients instead of sending them away. Even when other hospitals would declare any patient’s condition too critical, EKSUTH is ready to receive such a patient/patients and administer the necessary treatment. He stressed that it is the responsibility of the teaching hospital to give the best attention, and salvage as many patients that could be saved. “And at the end of the day, we are happy we are doing that”.
The CMD said so far the hospital has recorded some achievements in the following areas:
-Training of specialists in different areas of medical practice;
– Before there was no intensive Care Unit,but as at today,through the instrumentality of the state governor,the hospital can boast of an Intensive Care Unit, where some of these critical patients are treated;
-Before, the hospital had the High Dependency Unit,HDU,but now has even graduated to having ICU,alongside the HDU;
-The state governor is also building a new intensive care unit where you take the critically new pre-time babies of about seven months or so for treatment. According to Prof. Olabanji, we are nursing them, and they are making it.
-We now have equipment that were not known in this hospital in the past. These, he underscored, are some of the things that make EKSUTH ‘tick ‘.
“We are not in any form of crisis. The kind of calm and enthusiasm that we are experiencing now, are at the best. I don’t think there were other times that we have had things better. The state government has been sensitive to the needs and challenges of the hospital. The workers here, infact all categories of workers are at per with what is obtainable in federal health institutions in the country. These have gone a long way to make our workers to be highly elated”.
“Ekiti is the first state in the country to adopt hazard allowance being paid to the general workers in the federal institutions. The governor has also helped us in the contributory pension scheme among other gestures from him for the wellbeing of the workforce. We want to say emphatically that EKSUTH is enjoying the best of peace. There is no crisis and the hospital is alive. Activities are going on in every department of the hospital, contrary to the story carried by the medium that the institution is in comatose”.
Prof. Olabanji said to improve the internal structures and other facilities in the hospital,governor Oyebanji has agreed to release some funds in two tranches,the first one is about being released, expressing optimism that before the end of this year, it would be out. This, he reiterated will improve some of the infrastructural facilities for the comfortability of the patients, raise the morale of healthcare givers and the clients.
The CMD appreciated governor Biodun Oyebanji for being with the hospital since he came on board as the number one citizen of the state. He pointed that the governor has been in tune with the happenings in the hospital right from when he was Secretary to the State Government,SSG. Hence, he understands the situation very well.
“Since he came to the saddle, he has really been paying due attention to the hospital, being a listening governor. He is abreast of the challenges facing the hospital aimed at ensuring that the people enjoy health”.
