David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State, Prof. Anthony Igwegbe, has warned that the management of the health institution would not hesitate to place embargo on the use of GSM phones while on duty, if abuses continued.
Igwegbe gave the warning while addressing the staff at an opening ceremony of a two-day training workshop on SERVICOM.
He explained that the workshop had been conducted for staff in categories with the one at hand as the climax of the trainings to enhance quality service delivery at the hospital.
He told the staff that the essence of the workshop was to see a remarkable change in their attitude to work and to ensure that customers or patients did not have any cause to complain while in the hospital.
“It is not proper that you will be making calls while your parents are waiting. We may be forced to ban phone calls during office hours as it is done in some other places. We take improvement in our service delivery very serious. We all try but there is room for improvement,” he said.
Director of Research and Training, Medical and Advisory Council, Dr J. O. Ugbaja said the CMD had shown great management vision in his approach towards attitudinal change in the hospital.
Ugbaja told the participants that the Federal Government now insisted that institutions like the NAUTH should be able to maintain itself, which he said could only be achieved through positive change of attitude to work.
“Change is not easy, but it is inevitable. And for your own interest, you have to concur to what is happening in the institution. You must comply with both imposed and transformational change. It is either you change for the institution to move forward or you are changed,” he said.
A representative of the state government from the Ministry of Health, Dr. John Ndibe, urged the participants to always show kindness to the patients and try to put up smiles.
“Those who come to hospital do not need additional stress. They need something that gives them hope. Try to show passion in the execution of your duties. We will be judged by what we are expected to do,” he said.
Other speakers were the hospital’s Director of Corporate Affairs and head of SERVICOM service delivery, Kris Ngige, who spoke on communication tools for effective service delivery and Dr. Prosper Okonkwo on work ethics.