(By Boade Akinola)
The Federal Medical Center, Bida, has recorded another uncommon medical feat of delivering and managing another baby with 600gms baby weight.
The Honourable Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire noted this achievement lately while on a visit to carry out an on the spot assessment of health care delivery in the hospital.
Conducted round the hospital by the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr. Mohammed A. Usman, the Minister said that such achievement underscored the high level of competence, commitment and quality of service delivery available in the centre.
In an interactive session, Dr. Ehanire commended management and staff of the hospital for striving to ensure standard healthcare delivery in spite of paucity of funds. He also endorsed the purchase and establishment of CT scan- advantaged diagnostic equipment and a Dialysis unit to enable the hospital cope with Kidney disease cases and other health challenges of patients in the state and their catchment areas.
He further implored the hospital management to look for remedies for diseases like kidney stone which was said to be prevalent in its environs.
He called for an improved attitude to work adding that if each staff puts in honest 8hrs daily it would translate into an effective 40 working hours per week. To this end, he urged the staff to embark on capacity building by task shifty. This, he said would improve efficiency and progress because in his words, ‘there is no end to improvement’
In his response, the CMD of the 240 bedded hospital with 1310 staff lamented shortage of manpower in the hospital and high cost of electricity supply amongst other challenges.
On these, the Minister advised that staff recruitment be restricted to areas of critical needs while critical departments and areas should be lighted with solar energy to save cost.
At his courtesy call on the Estu of Nupe, His Royal Highness, Alh. Dr. Yahaya Abubakar, represented by Wambai Nupe, Alh. Mahmud Abubakar, the Minister said his visit to the hospital was a response to the negative report published on social media about an alleged dearth of health services in the hospital.
On this, the Minister maintained that after having cross examined the authorities and carried out an on the spot assessment of the facility, the report was false as all departments in the hospital were functioning.
The Minister however urged Community leaders to appeal to health staff in their domain to desist from strike as it often put lives at risk adding that it was against thier professional ethics.
Responding, the Wambai Nupe, pledged the emirates support to the hospital.
