…As Institution Rewards Best Staff, Partners
By Jude Atupulazi
The Chief Medical Director, CMD, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Amaku-Awka, Dr Josephat Akabuike, said the Trauma Centre of the Institution is going to be among the best in the entire South East Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria.
Dr Akabuike, who made the disclosure while speaking during the end-of-year recognition of, and awards to deserving staff members and partners of the institution, reiterated that the efforts of Gov Chukwuma Soludo’s Administration were in top gear towards making the institution a tourist destination.
‘What do I mean by a tourist destination? Looking from what the government of Prof Charles Soludo is doing here, you will see that he is trying to bring a solution to this place,’ Akabuike said.
According to him, ‘The solution is when somebody comes into this place he will have the necessary treatment to be well again. So, what we are doing here now is to put up all that is needed. And to make this place a medical tourism, three things are needed; you must have medical infrastructure.
‘If you look around, you will see our trauma centre; it is going to be one of the best in the whole South East.
‘If you talk of the equipment and human resources, this hospital has about 67 consultants in different areas, and about 200 nurses and other healthcare workers of repute,’ the CMD said.
On the allegation that medical students did not handle patients well in the institution, the COOUTH helmsman said it was untrue, stressing that the institution had no room for even mediocrity.
‘We have student nurses and doctors on training. When people come here at any time they say the people that treat them are medical students.
‘This is not true; there is no doctor that is qualified to touch a patient unless he has a licence.
‘So if you are on training you will be an observer. The doctors that people are seeing may be the ones of small in stature; so they think they are students,’ Akabuike noted.
The CMD said the essence of the event was to appreciate and motivate the workers who were exceptional in their inputs and service to the institution.
‘We the medical personnel are closest to God; our article of trade is human beings; and you cannot afford not to do it right.
‘I usually tell people why our work is different, it is not like buying beans and rice.
‘If you buy beans and rice, you count the number of the bags and throw them anywhere and nothing will happen. But you handle human beings with care and empathy.
‘So, that is why we decided to acknowledge people who are exceptional in their inputs towards the hospital,’ the COOUTH helmsman said.
In his speech, the pioneer CMD of COOUTH, Prof Elsie Ikeakor, one of those who received awards, praised the developmental strides at Amaku and commended Gov Obiano and the current Management whom he praised for doing well
Some of the partners of the institution who were given awards are; Sir Anthony Obidulu; High Chief Azubike Ekwozo; High Chief Tochukwu Ezisi; Anambra Association in Switzerland; G20; Awka women in Atlanta; Prof Ngozi Anyika; and Ozo Ambassador Obuekwe Nnajiofor.
One of them, Azubuike Ekweozo, donated N5m to offset the medical bills of some indigent patients.
Also in his speech, the Chief of Staff of the Anambra State Government, Mr Ernest Ezeajughi, who represented the Governor, said he observed what he described as positive changes in the hospital, saying the Governor was doing such to ensure that the state would be livable, especially as the Governor had decided to retire in Anambra.
He called for support for the government, which, he said, was doing well in road and other infrastructure. Particularly, he spoke about the ongoing trauma centre which he said government had provided millions for.
Ezeajughi recalled government’s efforts in the health sector, including the establishment of PHCs across the state and recalled government’s introduction of free antenatal and maternal care, as well as in education and other sectors.
‘We’re putting money back in people’s pockets,’ he said, urging for a show of love to others within the period.
Also in attendance was the HoS, Dr Theodora Igwegbe, who commended the Management of the hospital for a good job. According to her, she said after going round the facility, she did not perceive any bad odour, even as she extolled the workers’ professionalism, especially one Chukwudi Ekweano, who got the HoS Award for the Public Service Day Celebration, which, she said, was a day for rewarding hard work.
She said Mr Chukwudi Ekweano had added to the 39 workers given awards, making it 40, even as she announced that henceforth, promotions would be based on performance in order to encourage hard work.
She said from January, workers nationwide would be monitored by their superiors (Heads of Department) and recommendations given, adding that workers would under this be assessed on job descriptions
Some of the staff members given awards by the institution included, Chidimma Obiora, Best Staff in Administration; Obinna Oluchukwu
Onyeosoro Catherine (Health Record); Dr Obiageli Ezegamba (Pediatrics); Adanna Iteke; Chukwudi Ekweano (Radiology); among others.
