HWNSPOTLIGHT: The joy of the people of Kogi State knew no bound recently when the foundation stone of the permanent site of the state university teaching hospital, Ayingba, was laid. It is note worthy to state that it is during the administration of Capt Idris Wada, the governor of the state, that the university was given approval to establish a medical school by the National Universities Commission (NUC). Following a resource verification in September 2012, and subsequent admission of the first set of medical students in the same year, the political will of the governor set in motion the process for establishing a permanent site for the teaching hospital. The teaching hospital, Anyigba, envisaged as a premier referral and research hospital with the latest cutting edge technology, is, indeed, a project of the Wada’s-administration which, like several other of his outstanding projects, has significant bearing on the lives of the people. Since his assumption of office as governor, Capt Wada has not only put in place quick-fix interventions aimed at addressing the immediate challenges in the health sector of the state, efforts have also been made by his administration simultaneously in addressing perennial problems of health care delivery system across primary, secondary and tertiary levels in the state. The on-going teaching hospital building is a-two floor building (ground and first floor). The building of the institution, which is to be completed in two phases, is broken into phase one ( entire building up to roofing stage with the internal finishing of ground floor completed and technical building), while phase two is the furnishing of the first floor as well as equipping. The teaching hospital, Anyigba, when completed, is a 250-bed hospital comprising the major clinical areas of Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology. Others are Dentistry, Pathology, Sub Specialty areas, Bulk Store and Administration. The hospital is planned to have among others, five state -of-the-art operating theatre’s (two dedicated to obstetrics and gynecology), intensive care unit, special baby care unit, state of the art radiology and diagnostic services and a Central Medical Gas Plant with oxygen manifold and medical gas piping to all central areas. Medical students are to undertake courses in Internal Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology in the institution. Other areas of study include Laboratory Medicine, Community Medicine among other areas. The contract for the construction of Kogi State University Teaching Hospital, Anyigba phase 1, was awarded to TEC Engineering Company Limited at the sum of N1, 7billion and is expected to be completed in 12 months time. It is important to state that mandatory course for a medical school is a full complement of an associated teaching hospital. Little wonder, the state House of Assembly approved through a bill, the conversion of the former Kogi State Diagnostic and Reference Hospital, Anyigba and renamed it as Kogi State University Teaching Hospital Anyigba in February 2013. Also, as part of the processes to establish the teaching hospital, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, a regulatory body of medical education and training in June 2013, paid an advisory visit to the Faculty of Medicine, while processes for the take off of the operation of the hospital was set up by government as well as the appointment of Prof Edino Stephen in April, 2014 as the hospital’s Chief Medical Director. [HWN/LEADERSHIP]
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 13:17:27 +0000