By Ezeakukwu Emmanuel Nsoedo
The CMD of NAUTH, Prof Joseph Ugboaja, and his team did a postmortem report with the press corps regarding the visit momentous visit of the Coordinating Minister of Health, Professor Ali Pate. The visit was considered well-honored and successful because of the quality of time spent by the Minister to perform various tasks slated for him, including the groundbreaking of the Radio Diagnostic Center and the Sports Center.
In addition to the visit of the Minister’s working, the CMD also reiterated on the first anniversary which also marked the final relocation of the clinical units and departments to the permanent site for a holistic operation as envisioned when the CMD canvassed for the job.
One of the major highlights of the visit was the dinner engagement hosted by the Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo in Awka. The Minister briefed the Governor on the health policy of the President on the Renewed Hope Agenda, which is the health policy thrust of the administration and the need to partner with the state government to deliver more robust healthcare needs for the people.
On Wednesday, July 17, 2024, the Minister held an interactive session with key stakeholders including the Traditional rulers with their Cabinet members, Captains of industries, businessmen and women, the Clergies, etc. The hospital presented a short documentary of its odyssey in actualizing its dream of being a major destination hub in West Africa for healthcare service delivery.
Besides honoring the nine Foundational members of NAUTH who sacrificed to see that the institution took off and sustained, the Minister also commissioned projects honoring three illustrious sons of Anambra State who gave so much to the hospital, namely, Sir Emeka Offor, Chief Cletus Ibeto, and Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah. These three individuals meant a lot to NAUTH because of what they had invested in time and resources.
The event witnessed am mammoth turnout of people and various traditional dance groups were on hand to entertain the people.
Upon conclusion of the presentation of the address, the press wanted to know what motivated him to commence the movement to this site when it was a mere bush without anything. The CMD responded that it was his vision in 2021 when he was running for the post of Chief Medical Director to improve service to the hospital’s patrons. He said it would be impossible to deliver such without moving to the permanent site, so he made moving to the permanent site the fulcrum of his campaign. Besides, the congested nature of the temporary site made it difficult for the hospital’s staff to give their best because they were frustrated in terms of the quality of service. “We are not dealing with a mere hospital as our staff and patients used to experience, we are building a model facility that will be one of the best in West Africa.”
Regarding the issue of potential apathy from clients who may find here to be isolated from the town. The CMD confirmed that patient visits had increased significantly from what it used to be. “Mind you, at the temporary site, we had to send the patients away for lack of space, but here, both patients and staff are happy. You need to take a tour of our wards and see for yourself.”
Below is the full text of the CMD’s address:
An address presented by the Chief Medical Director of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi, Prof Joseph Ugboaja at the Press briefing following celebration of the 1st Anniversary of the official commissioning of the Permanent site, the complete relocation of the hospital units and the maiden visit of the Hon Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate CON held Friday 26th July 2024 @ the conference room
Protocols
Welcome- Let me warmly welcome all of you to today’s event which is the official press briefing following the successful celebration of the 1st Anniversary of the official commissioning of the Permanent site, the complete relocation of the hospital units and the maiden visit of the Hon Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate CON and the commissioning of landmark projects that held on Wednesday, 17th July 2024
As you know, the event was in 4 parts. The celebration of the 1st anniversary of the official commissioning of the Permanent site and the final relocation of clinical units to the Permanent site, the maiden visit of our hard working Hon Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate CON, honouring men who have greatly impacted our institution- Sir Emeka Offor, Dr Cletus Ibeto CON and Sen Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Uba.
Foundational members of staff of this hospital who contributed significantly to the development of this institution were also honoured by having some clinics and complexes named after them. They include late Emeritus Prof OO Mbonu, Late Dr TOK Osuafor, Prof Ifeoma Egbuonu, Prof OC Okpala, Prof Okay Ikpeze, Prof SNC Anyanwu, Prof TO Ulasi, Prof JC Orakwe and Prof JIB Adinma.
The event and its activities
The 2 day event started on Tuesday, 16th July 2024 with the arrival of the Minister and his entourage at the Chinua Achebe Airport, Anambra State. He was later hosted to a courtesy visit and dinner by the Governor of Anambra State, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo CFR during which the need for partnership between the federal government and the subnational governments for the provision of quality healthcare for Nigerians were emphasized. The Hon Minister also used the occasion to brief the governor on the Nigerian Health sector renewal initiative and the Health policy thrusts of the renewed hope agenda of the current administration. He equaled thanked him for providing two access roads for ease of transportation to the NAUTH permanent site
The main event on Wednesday 17th July commenced with Stakeholders engagement at the ICT conference center during which the Hon Minister interacted with key stakeholders of the hospital which included Royal fathers, town union executives, captains of industries, business men, members of the clergy as well as senior members of the hospital community. We used the opportunity to present a short documentary of our journey so far in our quest to becoming a dominant player in the Health sector in West Africa.
After, the stakeholder’s engagement, we proceeded to the event arena for the opening ceremony and subsequent commissioning of projects by the Hon Minister. The opening ceremony featured the welcome address from the CMD, the speech from the Hon Coordinating Minister, the keynote address by the Executive Governor of Anambra State as well as honouring of the Foundational members by the Hon Coordinating Minister. But the highlight of the event was the honouring of three great sons of Nigeria – Sir Emeka Offor , Chief Cletus Ibeto CON and Sen Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Uba for their contribution to the progress and development of the hospital by naming the Medical complex , GOPD complex as well as the MOP clinic after their names, respectively. The event was well attended by over 1000 people and had cultural troupes to entertain the people. We also had a very clement weather.
The significance of the event
Celebrating the commissioning and relocation to the Permanent site:
Kindly recall that the NAUTH Vision is to rank among the 3 top hospitals in Nigeria by the year 2030 backed by a 10 –years strategic and development plan. This vision was developed in 2021, when I assumed office as the Chief Medical Director of this institution. The 10 -year strategic and development plan is anchored on nine strategic pillars which include strong corporate governance structure, aggressive infrastructural development, acquisition of state of the art equipment and processes as well as strategic Human Resource management. Others are the use partnerships and collaborations, ICT based practice (e-medicine), robust financial management as well as staff welfare & motivation. These Pillars are aligned with the Nigeria Health sector Renewal initiative of the Hon Coordinating Minister and his 4-point strategic pillars- improve governance of the Health sector, improve population Health outcomes, unlocking the Healthcare value chain as well as Health security.
Also recall, that prior to my coming on board, the hospital was operating in a small space with 300 bed capacity with old and debilitated buildings with obsolete equipment. This space constraint limited greatly the volume and quality of care available to the patient. It also brought about poor and uncomfortable work environment leading to poor staff attitude to work. The overall impact was a poor rating of our hospital both locally and nationally.
Recall also that when I indicated interest to contest for the position of the Chief Medical Director of this great institution, the fulcrum of our campaign was the development of the Permanent site which we projected will create the platform for the transformation of the hospital.
There is no doubt that achieving our vision and objectives cannot take place at the old site and therefore, the Permanent site must be developed as it occupies a central place in our strategic plan under the Infrastructural development pillar.
With this background, and armed with our 10 year strategic and development, my team and I embarked on a journey to transform this hospital, enhance the quality of clinical services & medical training, foster research and innovation and ultimately change the landscape of Healthcare delivery in Anambra State and Nigeria at large. After 2-3 years of actively planning, working and evaluating alongside with our stakeholders and partners, we have been able to create a medical complex with an installed capacity of 2000 beds and ancillary facilities including 2 oxygen plants. The completed complexes include the 120 bed Trauma center, the 120 bed Emergency unit; 240 bed medical ward complex; 240 surgical ward complex; 100 bed Paediatric Emergency unit; 120 bed Mother & Child Complex. Other buildings include the GOPD complex, the Specialty building complex; the Radiology complex; Special treatment center and the VIP /Antenatal clinic complex.
The commissioning of the Permanent site last year by Mr President marked a watershed in our efforts and further strengthened our resolve that our mission is achievable. At the time of commissioning, we had only the clinics running. But one year down the line, we have further completed, furnished and equipped all the hospital wards and units including the emergency units. This involved meticulous and painstaking planning, revenue mobilization, stakeholder engagement, spending and evaluation. Therefore, the 1st year Anniversary celebration gave us an opportunity to commission these new completed projects, celebrate our achievements and modest progress since commissioning, reexamine our strategies and reaffirm our commitment to our vision.
The maiden visit of the Hon Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare: The visit of the Hon Minister will achieve 3 major things for us. A. It will improve his understanding and appreciation of the hospital both the prospect s and challenges. B. It will give an official endorsement on our activities and projects. C. It will give our standing a boost both locally among the stakeholders and nationally.
The Permanent site being constructed as the biggest hospital in West Africa invariably will come with lots of challenges in terms of infrastructure, equipment, manpower and funding. The Coordinating Hon Minister is eminently qualified to assist the hospital in these areas which aligns with part of his own strategy which is to strengthen institutions in order to improve health outcomes. This include the issue of manpower challenge, of which he has started to address. Additionally, the concept and construction of the permanent site is more disruptive than routine among the staff and locales. Therefore, the visit of the Hon Minister and the commissioning of the projects, will further confer official endorsement on the project. This endorsement is expected to strengthen our corporate resolve, boost the morale of the staff and improve the confidence of the community in our ability to deliver. It is also expected to improve our visibility both locally and across the globe. It is important to mention that the visit of the Hon Coordinating Minister along with other stakeholders is in line with our 4th pillar – Partnerships and collaborations.
Engagement with stakeholders; the execution of the Permanent site requires the cooperation of all the stakeholders. This include the traditional institution, the clergy, the community leaders, the political leaders as well as the philanthropists. Others include the government agencies, the state government, the local community as well as the media. Therefore, the anniversary event was an opportunity to interact with the stakeholders, show them what we are doing for the purposes of getting their buy in into the project. The increased buy in is expected to result in increased contribution to the progress and development of the hospital.- projects, access, acceptability, funding, training etc.
Honouring the grand benefactors: Sir Emeka Offor is an Icon who has done much for humanity using the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation and Rotary platforms. He has donated several projects and equipment to many hospitals across the globe including NAUTH and also impacted the lives of many vulnerable groups positively including the widows. Dedicating a building in his honour to celebrate him is envisaged to encourage him to do more but more importantly to inspire other endowed individuals towards humanitarian gestures. Dr Cletus Ibeto CON is a known philanthropists and has done a lot for the hospital including the construction of Accident & Emergency unit, GOPD among others. He is equally constructing a block of quarters while Sen Ifeanyi Uba mobilized the Anambra Progressives to complete, furnish equip and donate the MOP Complex to the hospital. The first building to be used at the permanent site.
Honouring the foundational members: Nine of our foundational members were honoured at the event with naming some of the commissioned units after them. This particular gesture was to recognize hard work, sacrifice and tenacity and teach the upcoming members of the hospital that posterity rewards sacrifices made for the institution.
NAUTH Permanent site success: Result of Collaborative effort
The achievements at NAUTH are closely aligned with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Initiative (NHSRII), a strategic framework built on four pillars: improving governance of the health sector, enhancing population health outcomes, unlocking the healthcare value chain, and ensuring health security. These principles are seamlessly integrated into the hospital’s development and operations, underscoring the importance of a structured approach to healthcare advancement.
The NHSRII, through the Compact and the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), emphasizes coordinated efforts between federal and state governments, development partners, and private sector entities. This integration ensures that resources are effectively utilized and that there is a unified approach to tackling healthcare challenges. The development of NAUTH exemplifies these principles, showcasing the power of strategic thinking and partnerships through a 10-year development plan aimed at positioning the institutions to be among the top three health facilities in Nigeria by 2030.
The remarkable progress at NAUTH has been significantly catalyzed by the visionary leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Honorable Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate. Their unwavering support and strategic direction have been instrumental in fostering an environment where ambitious projects like the NAUTH Permanent Site can flourish. Their commitment to healthcare excellence, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda, has provided the necessary impetus for transformative initiatives.
“Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge,” said Simon Sinek. This philosophy resonates deeply with the leadership shown by President Tinubu and Hon. Pate, whose guidance has empowered institutions like NAUTH to strive for excellence. The government’s whole-of-society approach has fostered an environment where public and private sectors collaborate effectively to achieve common goals.
Boosting Quality Healthcare through Collaborative Funding and Insurance Coverage
The improvements at NAUTH are part of a broader strategy to boost quality healthcare across Nigeria. The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMOHSW), along with its partners, is ramping up funding and extending health insurance coverage through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF). This initiative aims to strengthen Primary Health Care (PHC) systems nationwide, ensuring that even the most remote communities have access to essential health services.
The expertise and advanced facilities at NAUTH and other secondary and tertiary care centers will greatly benefit PHCs by providing a referral network that ensures continuity of care. Patients can receive primary care at local health centers and be referred to specialized facilities like NAUTH for more complex treatments. This integrated approach enhances the overall healthcare delivery system, ensuring that all Nigerians receive the care they need.
The Path Forward
The commissioning of the NAUTH Permanent Site is not just a celebration of past accomplishments but a reaffirmation of our commitment to a brighter future for healthcare in Anambra State and Nigeria at large. As we look to the future, it is clear that challenges remain that will require even more robust collaboration. Continued efforts are necessary to ensure that every Nigerian has access to quality health services.
While Nigeria may be navigating through challenging times, the focus on healthcare transformation is a beacon of hope. Beginning with improving health is indeed the right path, as health is wealth. With collective effort and unwavering resolve, there is confidence that we can build a better country for future generations.
As the Hon Minister remarked, “Our commitment to health is our commitment to our people. Healthcare transcends politics and unites us all in a common goal: to ensure the best possible health outcomes for every Nigerian. Investing in health is investing in the future of Nigeria.”
Appreciation
Once again, I want to appreciate everybody who contributed in any way towards making the event successful.
I want to thank and appreciate the President and Commander in Chief of FRN, Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, and our Hon Coordinating Minister for Health & Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate for all they have been doing for the Health sector in Nigeria, for renewing the hope of the masses in the public Health sector in Nigeria and for always carrying everybody along. I want to immensely appreciate the HCMHSW for taking two days out of his very tight schedule to be with us. It shows how you prioritize our center but more than that it shows the leader in him- one who leads from the front. I pray that God will keep blessing you and prospering you.
I want to very specially thank our Governor, Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo CFR for the wonderful work you are doing in Anambra State especially in the area of infrastructure and Health sector. I thank him most especially for the two access roads you constructed for us among other things. May bless and keep you sir as you define new frontiers in governance in Anambra State.
Let me thank most profusely, Sir Emeka Offor for facilitating the Ministerial Visit spending enormous resources. Thank you sir for your generosity and kindness. History and posterity will be kind to you.
My special appreciation goes to all the Igwes with members of their councils, the Obis, PGs for finding time to be with us. We will continue to appreciate the SSA to the President on SDGs- Her Excellency, Adejoke Orelope –Adefulire for her assistance. The history of the permanent site development will be grossly inadequate with your name ma, alongside Mr Ben Akabueze, former DG Budget office. Finally, I thank my management team and members of the planning committee for working assiduously day and night to ensure that the permanent site becomes a reality.I thank members of my family for all their support and encouragement. Indeed it’s not been easy but I’m sure posterity and history will be kind to all of us.
Finally, I thank God who makes everything beautiful and new at His own time for his graces, energy wisdom and good health. To him we return all glory and adoration.
I thank all the members of the 4th estate who participated in this briefing. Thank you so much and big congratulations to all of us!
Signed
Prof Joseph Ugboaja OON
Ochinanwata Nnewi