Resident doctors working at the
University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo State, have decried the state of
facilities such as operating theatres, radiotherapy machine, laboratory
equipment and lecture rooms in the hospital.
They accused the authorities of the
hospital of mismanaging facilities in the institution.
According to the President of the
UBTH ARD, Dr. Omorogbe Owen, the conditions in which the physicians operate on
patients is terrible.
He said, “The theatres are in the
worst conditions as surgeries are carried out by doctors who are sweating on
patients. Insects and reptiles come in freely into the theatres and wards
because of the dilapidated state of facilities.
“Consumables
and other tools for work are not sufficient or non-existent, forcing patients
to buy materials for wound dressing across the road. The laboratories, pharmacy
and x-rays units are not functioning optimally.
“The discrepancy has now made it a
norm for patients to go outside the hospital to do diagnostic investigations
and also buy drugs. Despite the Federal Government’s huge investment in
procuring CT scan and radiotherapy machine for the hospital, the equipment is
constantly malfunctioning.”
Owen, who made this known in a
statement, also alleged that some departments had lost their accreditation due
to lack of facilities and manpower.
The doctors also raised the alarm
over what it described as “extortion of patients”, adding that the high cost of
treatment at the hospital had forced many patients to seek treatment elsewhere.
The ARD boss added that patients
were forced to pay N3, 900 general wards’ fees daily after paying an initial
admission deposit of N20, 000.
He stated, “For instance, the bed
fee for specialist ward is N15,000 daily after an admission deposit of N50,
000, compared to what is obtainable elsewhere such as the Irrua Specialist
Hospital, Edo State and the University College, Ibadan, Oyo State, were bed fee
is N1,500 and N1,000 per day respectively. The same is applicable at the
Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Osun State where bed fee
is N1,000 daily.”
Owen also accused the management of
being insensitive to present economic realities of its patients.
He added, “Many patients have been
forced to seek alternative care elsewhere and this is grossly affecting the
training of medical students and doctors. Patients, especially those in and
around Edo State, are now forced to travel to other parts of the country for
medical care where services are affordable.”
Decrying the shortage of medical
workers, he recalled that the hospital had not in the last four years employed
new members of staff despite the mass exit of professionals from the hospital.
He added that the exit of workers
had resulted in the loss of some departments in the hospital.
Owen said, “This obviously affects
the quality of service being rendered to patients. It is shocking to reveal
that the last time resident doctors were employed in UBTH was in 2011 and in
the intervening four- year period, over 400 resident doctors have exited
without any replacement.”
“The hospital that was manned by
over 150 house officers is currently covered by 60 house officers while a ward
of over 50 patients is being run by three nurses. One can then imagine the kind
of care patients get from this shortage of staff.
“Consumables and other tools for
work are not sufficient or non-existent forcing patients to procuring materials
for wound dressing across the road. The laboratories, pharmacy and x-rays units
are usually down due to lack of power supply.
“The discrepancy has now made it a
norm for patients to go outside the hospital to get investigations and drugs.
Despite the Federal Government’s huge investment in CT scan and radiotherapy
machine for the hospital, the equipment is constantly malfunctioning.”
The Chief Medical Director of the
hospital, Prof. Michael Ibadin, could not be reached by one of our
correspondents, as calls to his telephone line did not go through.
When contacted on Sunday, the Public
Relations Officer, Mrs. Kehinde Ibitoye, declined comments on the matter,
adding that she was not aware of the statement by the resident doctors.
Ibitoye said, “I have not seen the
press release. Until I see it, I will not react. You are a journalist; can you
react to what you have not seen?
“I am not even aware. It has not
come to my management. When it does, we will say our own.”
By:
Bukola Adebayo & Alex Okere
Punch
News
No comments:
Post a Comment