US-Based Experts To Take Over Akwa Ibom Specialist Hospital

Expected to arrive Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital on Monday March 19 2018, the team, made up of medical experts from across the world is considered most qualified to take up the affairs of the first class quaternary medical facility in the state. Governor Udom Emmanuel, who made this disclosure in Uyo on Tuesday shortly after inspecting the new dialysis and other equipment at the Ibom Specialist Hospital, said the team is made up of experts with broad understanding of hospital administration, hospital record system and hospital ICT systems. Reacting to the ongoing faceoff between the state government and the previous management team of the Quaternary health facility, Emmanuel insisted that no amount of blackmail from the previous managers of the hospital would compel him to surrender such a world class facility into the hands of a cadiocare consultant, with limited or no understanding of proper hospital management. He blamed the downward fortune in the hospital on the previous management’s incapability. “Irrespective of his blackmail, trying to blackmail us of what is not true, I will never allow a cardiologist to run a quaternary hospital because the guy was actually running down this place. So we need an up to date administrator who understands hospital management, record system, internet system and everything else,” he maintained. His words: “We cannot put up this kind of facilities and give it to anybody to run. We want to bring people who are experts. These are people who are real hospital administrators. I don’t intend to go and bring a cardiologist and turn him to a hospital administrator overnight. “You can be the best pilot on earth but you may not be able to run an airline, same thing with medicine, you may be the best consultant in your field but hospital administration is very different. A lot of people can’t even run a secondary health care system, not to talk of a quaternary hospital like ours, it takes a special skill and special training. So the people we are expecting have actually gathered experience in running this kind of hospital, they have the training, the experience and the skills.” He said he was satisfied that the dialysis unit was so far functioning exceptionally well, in contrast with rumours peddled by detractors. He however reiterated his desire to see to the immediate functioning of the oncology section of the hospital to check cancer treatment. He said: “Right now, we have 5 machines that are brand new, newly installed, newly commissioned, that are working so well. But the acting medical director told us that they need upto nine and we have actually made provision to accommodate nine. I want to assure him that before the end of next quarter, we should be able to install nine. “Oncology is something that I really really crave to start here because I know how much I spend every month on these facilities outside this country. The machine is not a problem. We have actually priced the machines. It’s the consultants now that we are trying to recruit.” The Acting Medical Director, Dr Iniobong Etukudo who had conducted the governor round the facilities said there was no dialysis equipment until the intervention of the governor. He commended Emmanuel for his passion in ensuring improved healthcare delivery in the state. Governor Emmanuel was accompanied on the inspection visit by the state commissioner for Health, Dr Dominick Ukpong, Secretary to State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, Commissioner for Information and Strategy Mr. Charles Udoh, the Attorney General Barr. Uwemedimo Nwoko, among others]]>