From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Old Ohaozara Medical and Dental Consultants Forum, a group of indigenous medical and dental experts, has urged the Federal Ministries of Education and Health and Social Welfare to step in quickly.
They want resolution to the conflict between Prof. Jesse Uneke, Vice Chancellor of David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS), and Prof. Uzoma Agwu, Chief Medical Director of David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital (DUFUTH), both located in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area, Ebonyi State.
The consultants highlighted a major dispute over control of clinical service departments, centres, and units. The Vice Chancellor insists on overseeing the teaching hospital, a stance the group rejects. This tension recently sparked a protest by locals at the hospital, forcing a staff recruitment interview to move to Abakaliki. Staff at DUFUTH are reportedly feeling demoralised and exploring other job options.
In a statement released on Sunday, the group’s President, Dr. Kenneth Okoro, and Secretary, Dr. McSteve Okeke, called the Vice Chancellor’s position “an aberration of the highest order.” They argued that global practice places clinical services—like Cancer, Renal, and Eye Centres—under teaching hospitals, not universities. “In Nigeria, the University is supervised by the Ministry of Education while the Teaching Hospital is supervised by the Ministry of Health,” they said.
They expressed dismay at the lack of collaboration between DUFUHS and DUFUTH, a norm in other Nigerian institutions. The consultants clarified that both entities are autonomous, with the university run by a Governing Council and the hospital by a Board of Management. Neither should oversee the other; their roles are distinct yet complementary.
“We observe that at a period when Nigeria’s health sector has witnessed unprecedented exodus of healthcare professionals, it is counterproductive to demoralize the patriotic ones who chose to serve their fatherland,” the statement read. As Old Ohaozara natives and DUFUTH stakeholders, they worry about the impact on service delivery, medical education, and research. They see this as a threat to the hospital’s goal of reversing medical tourism.
The group noted DUFUTH’s unique potential as a Centre of Excellence, given its advanced facilities and strategic location between two other major teaching hospitals. “The peculiarities of DUFUTH… require the collective support of the host community, the government and all stakeholders to actualize the vision,” they said.
They welcomed the advice of DUFUTH founder Sen. David Umahi and Ebonyi Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, who have urged peace and progress. For a swift fix, the consultants called on the federal ministries to define each institution’s mandate clearly and broker a memorandum of understanding between them.
They also suggested donating shuttle buses to ferry patients to and from DUFUTH at little or no cost, addressing the area’s transport scarcity. “This will remarkably improve patronage of the hospital in view of the location,” they said.
The consultants urged DUFUTH management to ramp up medical outreaches to care for patients and raise awareness of services. They also pressed for a supportive work environment to ensure staff efficiency. Finally, they encouraged all parties to heed leaders’ calls for peace and growth at the hospital.