Follow Us on Google
•David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital, Uburu, begins 1 month free dialysis, performs over 100 kidney, liver surgeries
From Wilson Okereke, Afikpo
David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital (DUFUTH), Uburu in Ohaozara Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, is unarguably, one of the latest wonders in medical care in Nigeria. The new state-of-the-art facility disclosed that it has within one year performed over 100 successful surgeries on kidney and liver patients.
•Dialysis in progress on a patient
Chief Medical Director of DUFUTH, Prof. Uzoma Maryrose Agwu, disclosed this in an interview even as the hospital commenced one-month free kidney dialysis for first set of patients at its recently activated ultramodern renal centre.
Daily Sun gathered that cases involving patients with chronic kidney disease (end stage) from hypertension, acute kidney injury requiring haemodialysis and so on, were attended to during the awareness creation programme of the hospital.
•Experts handling handling medical situation
The cases were closely monitored by the Consultant Nephrologist and Head, Renal Unit, DUFUTH, Dr Udeze Chinedu, the Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, Clinicals, (D-CMAC), Dr Saviour Obilo, Head, Nursing Services, Mrs Urom Iheoma and clinical pathologist, Dr Orih Michael, among others. Prof. Agwu said that the facility was designed to stop people from embarking on medical tourism abroad, noting that her appointment was a call to reverse medical tourism in Nigeria.
•Prof Agwu (left) showcasing one the hospital equipment
“The hospital is meant to provide everything relating to health issues, the staff have been gazetted into the federal scheme. Initially, there were no seats and enough equipment but upon my assumption, everything was put in place,” she said.
The CMD also said that she has equally made some amendments in the structures of the facility, activated all the five floors which comprise the medicine and surgery departments among others, including community medicine.
According to her, the hospital boasts of the needed manpower and specialists as gynaecologists, surgeons, paediatricians and many others to complement the 30 full-time consultants already in the facility to provide adequate services to the patients.
She further disclosed that oncology, cancer and other centres have been activated and are currently providing healthcare to the citizenry while the electronic medical recording of everything done in the hospital has commenced.
She explained: “Under the radiology department, we have the full complements of the radiological services; we also have Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for the capturing of images mostly in the brain and the spinal cord, while the CT scan takes cross sectional images for bone resolution.
“Additionally, Mammogram meant for the breast problems only has been activated and we have started using them already.”
She mentioned another activated section of the hospital as the Maternal and Child Health Centre named after Muhammadu Buhari, where, according to her, several babies have been delivered coupled with over 1000 radiological investigations already done in the facility within this short period of services.
Prof. Agwu, who further said that services at the hospital are not expensive compared to the charges of other hospitals of the same standard, said that the N65,000 they charge for MRI is the cheapest in the country.
On the ambience of the facility, she said: “DUFUTH has a well-furnished section with enough electronics like television and other gadgets where one can relax and enjoy himself after work. We want to build a hospital in such a way that a patient will not want to go home after receiving treatment in the facility because of the comfort.”
Prof. Agwu noted that no establishment could perform optimally without a well-motivated workforce. So, every effort is being made to ensure their welfare.
“As staff-oriented CMD, my priority is my staff first and other things will follow. Once they are happy staff, encouraged and motivated, I can assure you that our patients will not lack anything,” she said.
