Text of a Speech Delivered by the Chief Medical Director of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Professor Jesse Abiodun Otegbayo during the visit of the House of Representatives Committee On Health Institutions on Wednesday, 22nd September, 2021 in the Hospital’s Board Room.
The Chairman, House Committee on Health Institutions, Hon. Dr. Paschal Obi
The Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee,
The Director of Administration,
Honourable Members of the House Committee on Health Institution,
The Director of Finance & Accounts,
Management staff of UCH,
Union Leaders,
Entourage of the House Committee on Health Institutions,
Ladies and gentlemen of the press,
About this time in 2020, the House Committee on Health Institutions visited the University College Hospital on oversight function to inspect capital projects in the Hospital. Today again, we are here meeting with the Honourable members to review the progress made within the last one year. It is therefore my pleasure to warmly welcome the Committee to the hospital.
Since that visit, the hospital has witnessed tremendous improvement in its physical look but most of the circumstances that prevailed that time still have not been surmounted.
Honoruable members will recall that the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 really impacted negatively in Nigeria’s socio-economic life, and the health sector was adversely hit by the effects. The Delta Variant of the COVID-19 has again almost brought the health system down on its knees.
The cummulative effect of this has been dwindling resources, unconducive working environment, and a downturn in research and training activities.
As we all have witnessed since 2nd August, 2021 the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has called its members out on strike. No meaningful clinical services have been rendered to Nigerians since then. A similar strike action would have been embarked upon by the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) but for the tact with which the matter is being handled.
In all of these however, I have good stories to tell. You would observe that the hospital is wearing a new look. All thanks to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, General Muhammodu Buhari, GCFR, who graciously approved an intervention through the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, (SDG), Dr. Oorelope Adefulire.
It is cheering to say that 5 blocks in the hospital has a complete facelift. The sewer system has been rehabilitated, while 400 solar powered street lights were also donated to the hospital, also by the SDG. We also appreciate the Federal Government for the COVID Intervention Fund to equip our Hospitals, this has helped a great deal
At his juncture, I want to bring to your attention areas of concern to the Hospital. The rate at which our medical personnel are resigning is alarming. There is hardly a week that we don’t have people resigning and seeking greener pastures elsewhere. The most worrisome part of it is that, there is no replacement plan to the staff that resign. We now have to cope with more work for fewer people. Considering the peculiarity of the hospital, I want to appeal to you to kindly look into replacement strategies so that we can render optimum services to Nigerians.
We are also grappling with issues of irregular and inadequate release of funds for capital projects. Some of the projects you are inspecting today have been on for more than seven years, and they are at different stages of completion.
Apparently, our services are being hampered by the inconclusive stages of these projects. For instance, the Accident and Emergency building that ought to have been completed would have allowed for more patients to be attended to. But we are often constrained to keep patients waiting for longer time than they should.
I want to specially appeal to the Honourable Committee to design more effective conflict resolution mechanisms. The unending agitation in the health sector are not good for our health care delivery system.
A known fact is that government allocation may never be sufficient for the hospital, we still appeal for an increase in our budgetary allocations while we think outside the box to find ways of augmenting government allocation.
Once again, I welcome you to the Premier Teaching Hospital in Nigeria and I Urge to use the opportunity of this oversight visit to help improve our situation and standards.
Thank you for listening.
FACEBOOK ACCOUNT DISCLAIMER !!!
Our attention has been drawn to a Facebook account named, Jesse A Otegbayo with link :https://www.facebook.com/jessea.otegbayo
Please note that this account is operated by fraudsters who may have been communicating with unsuspecting members of the public to cynical ends.
Members of the Public are hereby advised to be wary of this Facebook account and the unscrupulous acts that it may be used to propagate.
The Instagram account has also been cloned. Our Hospital business is never transacted on social media, so beware of scammers.