November 01, (THEWILL) – The Chief Medical Director of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Prof Ememabasi Bassey, has recounted the positive impacts of COVID-19 on Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Prof Bassey said the lockdown, which prevented medical tourism globally, created the need to develop the healthcare system in the country to meet global standards.
In a chat with newsmen in Uyo on Monday, the CMD noted that critical surgeries hitherto conducted outside the country were successfully done within, saying that Nigeria is blessed with talented medical experts.
He told newsmen that the Buhari-led government has made more releases and investment in medical infrastructure than any other administration.
Conducting newsmen around the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Bassey acknowledged receipt of N859 million from the federal government to execute key COVID-19 intervention projects and programmes.
“The present federal government has invested more in medical infrastructure than any other in the last couple of decades. For instance, during the pandemic last year, the federal government released funds to the management of the hospital to open a modular testing laboratory and other projects that could help in combating the virus.”
He said the hospital had a 10-bed intensive care unit and now has a 16-bed ICU, fully equipped with laboratory, mobile X-ray and mobile ultrasound scan. and “a paediatric/neonatal intensive care unit”.
“The projects provided for include: establishment of molecular laboratory, procurement of personal protective equipment, establishment of isolation centre and establishment of a 10 bedded Intensive Care Unit.
“PPEs during the peak of COVID-19 skyrocketed. Before COVID-19, a carton of facemask sold for 25,000, but, at the height of Covid-19, I bought that for about N600,000, we could not even find it.
“That money was meant to allow us function. Before COVID-19, we had one molecular laboratory for HIV and hepatitis and we cannot mix. We had a building; we now tried to do an expansion. When the inspection team came, they rejected that, that the molecular laboratory requires a certain flow, so we had to build. As we speak, that centre has been accredited by NCDC.
“The first time they came we had an issue, then they came back for accreditation. We are just waiting for them to come back for activation.
“For the 10-bedded ICU, I had an ICU, but it was a bit of a sorry sight. we had to totally renovate the building and against 10, we ended up having a 16 bedded ICU. That ICU is the best in the South South of this country,” he said.
The CMD who was in company of the hospital’s Head of Works, Arc Ute Abang and other key management staff of the institution, said he was working on completing between six to eight major projects for inauguration before the end of the year.
He assured that due diligence was followed in all contract award and execution both on the COVID-19 intervention projects and other ongoing projects inherited at various levels of completion.
“Federal government contract has a procurement process, which you must get right or you go on for it. It has an open bidding process and contract awarded. For ICU, you must have done a contract on a similar project; must be able to guarantee service and maintenance.
“Almost all the buildings we met on ground are ongoing. The GOPD, completed and furnish. I make bold to say that there is no government hospital that has a better GOPD in this country than ours.
“We have completed the radio diagnostics (CT Scan) building. The laboratory block which we met at the earthing level, has been completed though it may not be ready for commissioning.The molecular laboratory building has been completed and fully equipped, awaiting commissioning,” he said
He added that the hospital “expanded a lot faster than infrastructure, and we are therefore working to meet up. We are currently embarking on a water expansion.project. We met the water capacity between 30,000- 40,000; now targeting 200,000, so.far we have achieved over 100,000 liters daily.
“The Intensive Care Unit has been commissioned. trying to implement the hospital management information system, an enterprise resource management system. It would cover our collection in terms of revenue, with telemedicine and electronic medical records as some of its components. That has helped us to block leakages and increase our Internally generated revenue.
“We are expecting the Health Minister to visit the hospital before the end of the year to commission not less than 6-8 projects,” he said
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