Tale of ‘wonder’ hospital in President’s home-town
Have you visited Otuoke Cottage Hospital (OCH)? If you have not, try either a referral to the hospital or embark on medical tourism to the facility located in the hometown of President Goodluck Jonathan in Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.
In fact, you would not regret spending fortunes to visit the facility. The board members of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa, who toured the facility on Tuesday did not nurse any regret. They were rather “waoohed”. They could not believe that such a public medical facility existed anywhere in the country.
Though they embarked on the tour to assess equipment in the hospital before taking over the medical edifice as directed by the Federal Government, most of them dreamed of coming back to enjoy the medical accoutrements which they said could only be seen in public hospitals overseas.
Indeed, the Otuoke hospital is in a class of its own. It is a world-class cottage hospital constructed with global standard and best practice. The environment alone gives a visitor a breath of fresh air. The surroundings are clearly mapped out with landscaped lawns which are constantly mowed by the hospital management. It is further beautified with solidly constructed network of roads linked to various departments and blocks to allow easy movement of persons, vehicles and equipment.
The blocks, though simple, are solid. From the reception, a visitor begins to see the difference between a kite and a hawk. The reception located within the Outpatient Department reassures any patient of the hospital’s capability.
The seats are comfortable enough for patients to relax and get documented before proceeding to the waiting room, which is built separate from the reception with a capacity to accommodate many patients. The Consulting Rooms and Medical Records are also designed to allow for quick response to the medical needs of the patients.
Within the Outpatient Departments are modern Pharmacy Department, Counseling Room, Compounding Rooms and Drug Store, which are located close to a five-bedded department. Each of the beds is unique. It has an oxygen pipe to enable any patient on emergency have free access to oxygen.
“This area is called the Triad”, one of the board members said. “It is here that injured patients are brought, sorted out and then sent to their different wards,” he explained. From the Outpatient Department, a roofed walkway opens to the wards. Along the walkway is a sculptural depiction of a caring mother and her child. The wards – male, female, children and maternity – are constructed close to one another. In fact, the wards boast of sophisticated equipment and many live supports tailored to the needs of each category of patients. Unique and perhaps first in the country are automated beds that dot the wards. Each of the wards has 10 automated beds.
“This kind of bed is the first in the country,” the Medical Director of the hospital and tour guard, Dr. Benjamin Tembowei, said. “It is electronically controlled. It has speakers, audio system and other adjustable buttons,” he added.
Again, an oxygen pipe is fitted on the wall close to each of the bed. So, it is each patient to an oxygen pipe. The entire wards are piped with oxygen. The hospital has an Oxygen Plant which generates oxygen and distributes to all the wards. Tembowei complained that the Labour Room was small and that the wards lack a call room with an intra- connected communication network to allow for exchange of information.Everything that makes a standard hospital is in OCH. The Laboratory Department is designed with state-of-the-art equipment. It is further divided into haematological and pathological laboratories.
With experienced manpower, OCH can perform all surgeries in its Theatre and anybody wheeled into the facility has a high percentage of coming out alive. The theatre is made up of two suites, one monitor and an aesthetic machine.
However, the Medical Director said: “We need more monitors and aesthetic machines. What we have is not enough.The hospital depends mainly on two 350KVA generators for its electricity supplies. “We use three drums of diesel a day”, Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Tembowei said.
“If you see the mortuary, you will like to die”, one of the senior employees of FMC said jokingly. Though the statement provoked laughter among the tourists, the idea of death nauseated them. They tactically avoided the building. “You see, everybody wants to go to heaven, yet nobody wants to die,” the employee who is a pathologist remarked. Within the compound are two aesthetically designed buildings constructed to accommodate members of staff of the hospital. Tebuwei said 12 persons are living in the quarters. What is this hospital lacking? It has functional water works, laundry and an equipped kitchen. But the hospital has its fair share of the 2012 flood that devastated the state. Two 4D ultra-sound scan machines worth millions of dollars and two digital x-ray machines were damaged by the floods. Also, one of the two ambulances with live support facilities was destroyed by the floods.
Tebuwei, a Consultant Surgeon, described the facility as a modern hospital with state-of-the art equipment and called for it to be replicated in other parts of the country. He said such facilities established in the country would discourage Nigerians from seeking medical help in other developed countries like Indian, Germany and China.
“If people can replicate this in other places, it will go a long way in assisting the poor man in the society. These equipment, if we have the manpower to man them, Indians can come here too and be treated,” he said.
He eulogised the Federal Government for its directive to FMC to take over the hospital, describing it as a welcome development. Tracing the origin of the hospital, he said the foundation was laid by President Jonathan in 2006 during his brief tenure in the state as the governor.
He said: “Unfortunately, the work could not go on because of logistic problems until the office of the Millennium Development Goals adopted and finished it. The aim of MDGs is to decrease maternal and child mortality. I know the place is far from Yenagoa Metropolis and it is rural, we will achieve the aim when it is taken over by the FG. I am very happy because it will become a federal institution with better funding,” he said.
He reeled out the problems of the hospital as lack of electricity, lack of potable water which he blamed on the difficult terrains of the state. He recalled that some sophisticated equipment such as two most modern 4D coloured ultra-scan and x-ray machines were destroyed by the 2012 floods. He appealed to the board to facilitate the process of replacing the damaged equipment. He said: “For about three, four months ago, we didn’t have generator. To run this light, we have two 350 KVA generators and to run them every day is capital intensive.
“We use three drums of diesel a day and it is not easy. Another problem we have is water. In Bayelsa State, the iron content is very high, we need to filter to get water and this equipment is sensitive.
“We need to also create awareness for people to know that it has been taken over by the Federal Government; that the Federal Government is taking it over is not a new concept. It has been done in Ebonyi State, Bauchi, Lagos and Edo states. We are happy this is happening to us. It will give us sense of belonging.”
Also, the Acting Chairman of the board, Chief Iroka Lawrence, said he was surprised by the world-class equipment in the hospital. “This is hospital with modern gadgets”, he exclaimed. He said it was a good development that the Federal Government had decided to take it over. He said the takeover would help to maximise the utilisation of the equipment.
“As it is now, it appears as if some of the facilities are underutilised. We will maximise them and maybe turn here into a referral centre and with time this kind of facility will be replicated in other places.
“It is a good thing that the Federal Medical Centre is taking it over so that we can maximise the use of the equipment. We are highly impressed. We will address the challenges. It is the first thing that we will do when we sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formally take it over. Furthermore, the Medical Director, FMC, Dr. Lawrence Etebu, referred to the take-over bid as a normal thing. He said: “It is one of these things that happen in the polity. It is a hospital that is virtually built by the Federal Government and being run by the state. But in the state, the health manpower is still not yet well-developed. So, it is a welcome idea.
“It portends a good thing to Bayelsa State and Otuoke. It is a purpose-built hospital, well-thought out. The facilities are also of international standard. The flood came to destroy some of the sophisticated equipment which I am sure will be replaced very soon. It will complement the Federal Medical centre and take it to greater heights.
“The board members visited the palace of the Obanema of Otuoke, His Royal Highness, Lot Ogiasa, to inform him of their mission in the community. The board acting chairman informed the monarch that they had come to assess facilities in the hospital before signing the MoU. The monarch before granting his royal blessings to them described the takeover bid as a dream come true.
“I have always wanted the Federal Government to take over the hospital to ensure its proper management,” he said.
Describing his reign as a blessed one, he said his tenure had brought good tidings to the people of the community, adding that Otuoke had moved from a rural setting to a city status. He asked the government to rename the hospital observing that it was bigger than a cottage hospital.
He also appealed to the board to carry the community along in whatever plan they have to reposition the hospital. He said the community should benefit in matters of employment.
“I am blessed because good things are coming to the community during my reign. Before now, Otuoke was nothing to write home about. But ever since l took over the traditional stool f this community, Otuoke has been transformed from a mere hamlet to a city status, “he said
