The journey of a thousand miles begins with a step and Nigeria took that step with independence on October 1, 1960.
How has the country fared in terms of Health Care delivery over the years?
Correspondent, Anthonia Akanji spoke with some residents of Ibadan, Oyo State and stakeholders in the health sector.
Anthonia Akanji
As part of activities to mark Nigeria’s 60th anniversary, a lawmaker representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju, Kajola, Iwajowa, Federal Constituency, Mr Shina Peller has donated some personal protective equipment PPE, to the University College Hospital, UCH Ibadan.
Our correspondent reports that the items were donated through a Non-Governmental Organisation, Lead Generation Initiative, LGI, founded by Mr Peller.
Donating the items, the lawmaker urged Nigerians to keep hope alive despite challenges confronting the nation.
Mr Peller said plans were underway to provide more equipment to UCH, Ibadan to enhance service delivery.
Receiving the items, the Chief Medical Director of UCH, Professor Jesse Otegbayo pledged to use the items judiciously.
Professor Otegbayo while commending Mr Shina Peller for the gesture, appealed to the government to be more committed to the health sector.
Items donated included 300 pieces of KN95 masks, two rechargeable pulse oximeters, fifty packs of ppE gowns, 10 pieces of Nebulizer, 50 pieces of pulse oximeter and fifty packs of facemasks.
Lilian Ibomor
Following the suspension of the seven day warning strike by the National Body of The Joint Health Sector Unions, JOHESU, health workers at the university college hospital, UCH have complied with the directive.
In a statement issued by JOHESU and made available to newsmen, Chairman, Joint Action Congress UCH, Mr. Adeolu Alli said all health workers at the hospital have being instructed to comply with the directive.
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Mr. Alli urged health workers to continue their daily activities as they await further directives from the national body.
The statement issued by JOHESU indicates that their demands have not being met by the federal government.
Meanwhile patients and their relatives have heaved a sigh of relief following the strike suspension as they have been the worst hit before now.
In a related development, The Joint Health sector Workers Union JOHESU of the Federal Medical Centre Idi Aba, Abeokuta has called off the seven day warning industrial action as called by the national body of the union.
A visit to the hospital in Abeokuta revealed that members of the union have returned to their duty posts.
The union had decried the infrastructural decay in various government hospitals across the country and alleged injustice against their members in the scheme of things in the Health sector.
Activities had been paralysed at the hospital while the strike lasted.
The JOHESU leadership at the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba was reported to have also called a Congress very early to brief it’s members on the decision to call off the industrial action.
Similarly, Osun Chapter of JOHESU, in public health facilities has suspended its seven day warning strike.
Some of the members of the union who resumed early this morning at the Ilesa Wesley Guild Hospital, annex of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAUTH, Ile Ife said the executive council directed them to do so.
Speaking on the development, the JOHESU Branch Secretary, OAUTH, Comrade Babajide Akanji explained that the warning strike ended midnight on Sunday.
He stated that though government was yet to address the demands of JOHESU, the members returned to duty in the interest of people.
Comrade Akanji appreciated the members for their cooperation while the industrial action lasted announcing that the next line of action would soon be decided by National Council of JOHESU.
Lilian Ibomor/Wale Oluokun/Isaac Haastrup
Awon osise eleto ilera nipinle Oyo ti darapo mo awon akegbe won lati gunle iyanselodi ti egbe agbarijo awon osise Eleto Ilera nile yi JOHESU pase re.
Iyanselodi ohun lo bere ni aago mejila oganjo oru loni to si tii nmuki nkan pakaso leka eto ilera kaakiri ile yi.
Ninu iforowero pelu akoroyin ile ise Radio Nigeria, Alaga Egbe JOHESU eka tile iwosan ekose isegun, UCH, Ogbeni Adeolu Alli ni iyanselodi naa waye leyin ti won ti se opolopo suuru pelu Ijoba apapa fun bi odun meta
Ogbeni Ali wa gba awon omo egbe lamonran lati tele awon ase ti egbe fi sita titi ti won yio fi jare ninu sita.
Ibomor/Dada
Federal government have been urged to acceed to the demands of the National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, as they embark on indefinite strike.
Relatives of patients at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan stated this in an interview with Radio Nigeria.
Two of them, Mr. Rasheed Tiamiyu and Mrs. Ramota Sarumi said each time strike of this nature occurs many lives are lost.
Speaking, President National Association of Resident Doctors, UCH, Ibadan Dr. Adedayo Williams said the strike would be on until their demands which ranges from payment of the outstanding allowance to consequential adjustment of the national minimum wage was met.
Dr. Williams urged the presidency to look into the matter and treat it as an urgent one.
It would be recalled that the National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, had issued a twenty one day ultimatum to government which elapsed on 17th of august 2020.
Lilian Ibomor
The Oyo state government has again thrown its weight behind the University College Hospital Ibadan in the fight to stem the spread of the coronavirus disease.
The state government has donated a mechanical ventilator machine and an oxygen concentrator to the Hospital to aid the treatment of patients who are being managed for COVID-19.
While making the presentation on behalf of the state Governor Engineer Seyi Makinde, the permanent secretary Oyo State Ministry of Health, Dr. Adebisi Ayoola noted that UCH being part and parcel of Oyo state is a major stakeholder when it comes to the management of COVID-19 patients in the state.
He expressed the belief that the machine will enhance service delivery in the hospital’s quest to stem the scourge of the virus.
Dr Ayoola further lauded the hospital’s technical collaboration in the state COVID-19 task force committee and called for more partnership in healthcare delivery.
He added that the state government will continue to extend its goodwill to the University College Hospital in all the ways that it can.
The hospital’s Chief Medical Director, CMD, Professor Jesse Otegbayo while receiving the items lauded Governor Seyi Makinde for putting the wellbeing of the masses in the front burner and describe him as a “partner in progress”.
He noted that ninety percent of patients who come to the hospital are from Oyo state, therefore “it behooves on the management to deliver quality healthcare to the people of the state at all times”.
Professor Otegbayo assured the state government that the equipment will be put to good use for the benefit of the teeming population of patients that come to the hospital for treatment.
Anthonia Akanji
The Oyo State of Government has supported the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan by loaning it a state-of-the-art ambulance to the Hospital to aid its fight against the ravaging virus.
The ambulance was presented to the hospital on behalf of the Governor of Oyo State Engineer Seyi Makinde, by the Permanent Secretary Oyo State Ministry of Health, Dr. Adebisi Ayoola.
Dr. Ayoola, who stressed that the ambulance was on loan to the hospital to enhance the curtailment of the pandemic, added that there was the need for a stronger relationship between the Oyo State Government and the UCH in ensuring adequate and prompt health care delivery to the citizens of Oyo State and Nigeria in general.
The Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, Dr. Victor Akinmoladun, who received the ambulance on behalf of the management, lauded the state government for the initiative and stated that the Hospital will be more poised to handle the management chain of COVID-19 patients in line with recommended guidelines.
He assured the Oyo State Government that the UCH is always ready to cooperate in providing good health to Nigerians.
Toye Akinrinlola,
UCH PRO
For: The Chief Medical Director.
Oyo State Government has insisted that it is standing by its position that it supported the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan to the tune of #118 million in the fight against COVID-19.
Records made available by the Oyo State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akinola Ojo, confirmed that the state government had provided support to the UCH and the Department of Virology located inside the College to the tune of the above sum.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quotes the Commissioner for Finance as giving a breakdown of the expenditure, indicating that the sum of #118 million was expended in meeting the varied needs of the Department of Virology, College of Medicine and the University College Hospital.
The statement indicates that attempts by the management of the UCH to disown the Department of Virology, which serves as the teaching and research department in the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan as well as provides Clinical Services to the UCH, is self-serving, artificial and contemptuous.
It will be recalled that the University College Hospital, UCH, had denied receiving support from the Oyo state government to the tune of #118 million.
Iyabo Adebisi
Late Emeritus Professor Oladipupo Akinkugbe has been described as a colossus who impacted positively on the medical and academic world during his lifetime.
The Cheif Medical Director, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Professor Jesse Otegbayo stated this in an interview with Radio Nigeria.
Professor Otegbayo who was part of the medical team that treated professor Akinkugbe explained that his death was a big loss to the medical fraternity and academic community.
In the same vein a Professor of medicine Solomon Kadiri said Professor Akinkugbe a great man and one of the fathers of medicine would be greatly missed.
He noted that the icon has trained a lot of people who would carry on in Nigeria and abroad especially in the United Kingdom.
Professor Otegbayo said Late professor Akinkugbe was former board Chairman of UCH and during his time the hospital witnessed tremendous development.
Professor Ahinkugbe who died at the age of 87 was first vice Chancellor Ahmadu Bello University, first vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin, pro chancellor University of Portharcourt, first chairman of JAMB.
As a nephrologist, Professor Akinkugbe practiced and taught medicine in various universities across the globe.
Anthonia Akanji.
The University College Hospital, UCH, is working out a collaboration with the Oyo State Government on the management of Covid-19 pandemic.
The Chief Information Officer of UCH, Mr. Toye Akinrinlola made this known in an interview with Radio Nigeria.
Mr. Akinrinlola explained that the institution being a teaching hospital follow laid down rules in ensuring the health of the people as swore to.
Also, Mr. Akinrinlola said the news making the rounds on the social media that twenty- five nurses have been placed on self-isolation because they were exposed to a Covid-19 patients in the hospital was not true.
Speaking on collaboration with UCH, on Covid-19, the Chief Press Secretary, CPS, to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa noted that so far the state has been supporting the institution to the utmost capacity such as the citing of the only diagnostic laboratory, provision of reagents as well as procurement of personal protective equipment for the staff.
Mr. Adisa cautioned people who are playing with the lives of people to desist noting that covid-19 is a matter of life and death.
He stressed the need to focus more on how to end the Covid-19 pandemic ravaging the world.
Anthonia Akanji
Oyo State has recorded its first coronavirus-related death.
Governor Seyi Makinde made this known via his Twitter handle, @seyimakinde.
The governor said the patient died at the University College Hospital, Ibadan before the confirmation test for the virus came back positive.
He added that contact tracing has commenced.
Governor Makinde said there are currently five active cases in Oyo State.
He urged people who have come in contact with a COVID-19 case, returnees to Nigeria, those with respiratory symptoms and healthcare workers who have been in contact with the high-risk groups to call the Emergency Operations Centre for the ongoing drive-through/walk-through testing at Adamasingba Stadium, Ibadan.
Iyabo Adebisi
The Chairman, Board of Management, University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, Alhaji Shettima Bako Bangudu has tested negative for Coronavirus.
A statement by the Public Relations Officer, PRO, UCH, Mr. Toye Akinrinlola explains that the two tests carried out on Alhaji Bangudu after three weeks of quarantine both returned negative.
Mr. Akinrinola said following this, the chairman now has a clean bill of health.
The statement explains that, Alhaji Shettima has urged Nigerians to observe the guidelines laid down by the World Health Organization, WHO, and the National Center for Disease Control, NCDC.
He then thanked the UCH community for their support and encouragement during the trying period.
Alhaji Shettima also expressed his appreciation to the UCH Chief Medical Director, CMD, Professor Jesse Otegbayo, the Management of the Hospital and all the medical personnel that attended to him while on the quarantine.
PR/Maxwell Oyekunle
The recent development where principal officers at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, and College of Medicine, University of Ibadan tested positive has again confirmed the fact that Covid-19 has no respect for anyone.
A visit to the hospital showed the premises looked like a shadow of itself as patients were very few.
Though the gate at both entrances of the university college hospital was widely opened, only a few patients with serious medical cases were being attended to.
Speaking with Radio Nigeria, Head of UCH taskforce on covid-19, Dr. Ewam Eze noted that standard measures as recommended by the World Health Organization, WHO was maintained.
Dr. Eze stressed that only emergency cases were attended to, while patients with critical health conditions remained on admission.
He pointed out that there was no new case in the isolation centre while those officials who tested positive for covid-19 were in self-isolation and constantly being monitored.
A lady, Mrs. Damilola Sanni, whose child is currently on admission expressed displeasure with the arrangement at the hospital hoping that the situation would soon normalize.
A medical laboratory scientist at the hospital who preferred anonymity emphasized that strategies have been put in place to monitor social distancing as the laboratory remained opened.
However, the College of Medicine where medical students, nurses and others are being trained had been shut to curtail the spread of the pandemic.
Titilayo Kupoluyi
Oyo state is fully prepared in case of any outbreak of Covid-19 in the state.
Commissioner for Health in Oyo State, Dr Bashir Bello stated this during a visit to Radio Nigeria Ibadan.
Dr Bello noted that quarantine centres in the state had been equipped with necessary facilities.
Some of the centres according to the commissioner, include the University College Hospital, Adeoyo Hospital and Odogbo Barracks.
The commissioner said residents were already being sensitized to adhere to standard preventive health practices such as the washing of hand with soap and warm water, usage of nose masks, and staying clear of anyone who sneezes or coughs around them.
Reacting the Zonal Director, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Ibadan Zonal Station, Alhaji Mohammed Bello said the station was ready to partner the state government on useful health practices to prevent the Covid -19 virus.
Alhaji Bello urged the state government to continue to put the interest of the masses first in all they do.
Lilian Ibomor
Oyo state Governor Engineer Seyi Makinde has promised to partner with the University College Hospital (UCH) to reposition its annex at Sepeteri in Oke Ogun zone to bring health care nearer to the people.
He stated this when he received management board of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan on a courtesy visit in his office.
Governor Makinde also stressed that since health remained a major pillar of his administration, a sustainable collaboration with UCH would be maintained, particularly in ensuring the deploring of its excess capacity to support the state secondary health care.
Earlier, Chairman of UCH management board, Alhaji Ibrahim Shettima said the visit was to strengthen partnership for progress, as well as remind government of the various partnership agreement with the hospital.
Alhaji Shettima also stressed the need to regularize some of its services with the state government for efficient service delivery.
Iyabo Adebisi
Reactions have continued to trail the death of a former petroleum minister, Professor Tam David-West who passed on yesterday at the age of eighty-three.
The late David-West took his last breath at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan.
Radio Nigeria correspondent Adedayo Adelowo has more.
Adedayo Adelowo
The need for safety and accident prevention by health professionals in the hospitals formed the focus of a day symposium held at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan.
The event which attracted experts in health safety and Fire Disaster Management was organized by the Department of Community Medicine of the institution.
The experts including Dr. Kehinde Kuti and Professor Segun Ogunlade said workplace accidents and hazards occurred due to human errors, malfunction system and failure of the stakeholders and government to live up to their expectations
They stressed the need for caution and adequate measures in the way health workers handles needle-stick and other object capable of inflicting sharp injuries on them.
In an interview, the Chairperson, Health and Safety Committee of the institution, Professor Folashade Omokhodion said the symposium was organized to draw attention of health workers to their safety while discharging their duties.
In a remark, the Chief Medical Director, UCH, Professor Jesse Otegbayo represented by the Director, Central Management Advisory Committee, CMAC, Professor Victor Akinmoladun said the management of the institution was aware of workplace health hazards saying the institution was taking adequate measures to ensure safety of its workforce.
Rotimi Famakin
