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•To establish centre for transplant medicine
In its quest to alleviate the challenges of Nigerians, who engage in medical tourism as they seek to treat various ailments, the University of Jos (UNIJOS) has installed and handed over Urology, Organ Transplant and Dialysis equipment worth One Billion Naira (₦1,000,000,000) to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) at the Hospital’s Tissue Typing Laboratory, JUTH Permanent Site, Lamingo, Jos.
•Ishaya inspecting health facilities
The equipment is meant to facilitate the treatment of ailments affecting the kidneys, ureter, bladder, male prostate, male and female reproductive organs and other non-communicable diseases.
The Vice-Chancellor, University of Jos, Prof. Tanko Ishaya said the project was undertaken to ease the predicament many Nigerians go through while seeking medical attention for Urological and other diseases in foreign countries.
According to the VC, the university administration, in its wisdom, decided that the equipment should be installed at the Tissue Typing Laboratory in JUTH, considering the rate at which Nigerians seek medical attention in the hospital.
Prof. Ishaya disclosed that the laboratory would form a critical aspect of the Centre for Transplant Medicine in the University’s College of Health Sciences, which will soon be made operational.
The VC stated that the co-housing of the Urology, Tissue Typing and Organ Transplant project by UNIJOS and JUTH will lead to the enhancement of health care service delivery in Nigeria, given the breakthroughs both institutions have recorded in the Health Care delivery system.
While appreciating the Federal Government through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) for providing the intervention, the VC commended the contractor for executing the project on time and appreciated the consultant for training staff of both institutions on the use of the equipment.
Ishaya emphasized the need for proper maintenance of the equipment adding that the university would soon sign an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with JUTH that would serve as a model for sustainability to ensure that the equipment stand the test of time and serve their purpose.
Speaking earlier, Chief Medical Director, Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Dr. Bokop Bupwatda, represented by a former JUTH CMD, Prof. Ishaya Pam, said the equipment and the new Centre for Transplant Medicine are critical healthcare projects that will bring relief to many Nigerians. He said the project would save Nigerians from spending millions of Naira on medical tourism.
Dr. Bupwatda acknowledged that the consultant has trained some staff of the College of Health Sciences and JUTH who will further train their colleagues on the usage of the equipment.
He appreciated the VC for securing the TETfund grant and installing the equipment in JUTH for use of the public when he could have just kept them for research purposes in the university.
Handing over the facility to the university, the Project Contractor, Umar Ali of Messrs Bello H. System Company Limited, said all the equipment installed were tested and confirmed to be functional while several successful non-invasive kidney operations were carried out using the equipment before their being handed over. He expressed delight that the University had acquired some of the best and most sought-after equipment in the health care industry.
Ali was thankful for successfully completing the project as specified in the contract agreement and appreciated UNIJOS and JUTH for considering him worthy to carry out the project.
He urged that proper care should be taken and periodic maintenance carried out given the sensitivity of the equipment.
Also speaking, one of the trainees, Dr. Jatau Ezra appreciated the VC for the foresight to secure such a huge grant for acquiring and installing the equipment and lauded the university administration’s plan to establish a Centre for Transplant Medicine in its College of Health Sciences.
Dr Ezra said siting the project in JUTH will foster both research and patient treatment noting that the equipment and the centre will open up more opportunities for knowledge acquisition as the equipment are among the most modern, cutting-edge technology available anywhere in the world.
In their contributions, immediate-past Provost, College of Health Sciences, UNIJOS, Prof. Simon Yiltok and the current Provost, Prof. Caleb Mpyet both congratulated UNIJOS and JUTH for recording yet another milestone and expressed confidence that the initiative will bring succour to many Nigerians suffering from different organ related diseases.
The collaboration between UNIJOS of Jos and JUTH involves the purchase and installation of the Billion Naira equipment by UNIJOS while the facility to house the equipment was provided by JUTH. Both UNIJOS and JUTH provided the staff trained to handle the equipment.
