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Tag: FMC

  • NLC urges Buhari to wade into FMC crisis

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to wade into the over six weeks strike embarked up by workers of Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri, over corruption allegation against its Medical Director (MD), Dr.Angela Uwakwem.

    President of the Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, in a letter addressed to Buhari, said the situation in the institution has been worsened by the outright refusal of the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. Linus Awute, to bring to Mr. President’s attention for approval, the Management Board’s resolution which recommended that the MD and the top management proceed on leave to pave the way for a thorough investigation into the matter.

    He said: “You might wish to know, Sir, that a prima facie case of gross financial misconduct and embezzlement has already been established against the Medical Director. This was by way of an illegal withdrawal of personnel costs meant to pay staff promotion arrears for   2013 and 2014, the siphoning of funds meant for the running of the centre through channels of questionable privatisation process of some sections and services rendered by the hospital.

    “It was on the strength of the prima facie case established by the board that the FMC Owerri board halted the privatisation process and passed a resolution that the MD and indicted members of her Top Management Committee (TMC) should proceed on compulsory leave to enable full investigation take place as prescribed by law and the public service rules.”

    Wabba however, said the MD and the compromised members of the TMC have refused to budge, leveraging on their ally, the Permanent Secretary’s cover for their nefarious acts and an utter disregard to the powers and authority of the board of the institution to make recommendations to Mr. President on matters of this nature.

    Wabba said the perpetuation of illegality and illegitimacy by the MD and her team must not be allowed to continue, while the Permanent Secretary must not be allowed to continue to usurp the powers of the President by holding onto the board’s recommendation to Buhari.

    He said: “Our prayer, thus is for  you to urgently step into the matter, and consider and approve as necessary the recommendations of the board or give a directive as you may deem fit in the circumstances.

    “A decisive action, Your Excellency, shall surely restore our confidence that under your watch, it is zero tolerance to corruption and impunity.”

    He urged Buhari to urgently effect the payment of all outstanding entitlements of the affected workers, saying the development would ensure enthronement of greater productivity and better industrial harmony in the Centre.

  • Teaching hospital status for FMC, Ido-Ekiti

    Teaching hospital status for FMC, Ido-Ekiti

    In line with global best practices where universities use established hospitals as training centres for their medical students, the Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), had applied to the Federal Government for the upgrading of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ido-Ekiti for use as training centre for its medical students; just as University of Ibadan and Gombe State University use Adeoyo Hospital and FMC Gombe as their training centres for their medical students respectively.

    To this end, the former Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu put machinery in motion to authenticate the plausibility of such upgrade. He mandated the National Universities Commission (NUC), the country’s regulatory body for tertiary institutions to find out how probable the proposed upgrade would be.

    After the initial visit, NUC was convinced that there was the need to upgrade the facilities at the FMC to meet the standards of a teaching hospital for the training of medical students.

    Having satisfied the NUC’s requirement, ABUAD obtained NUC’s and Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria’s (MDCN) approvals to commence medical programme in the hospital.

    After these approvals, Prof Chukwu set up a committee to assess the suitability of the facility for clinical studies. The committee discovered the place suitable for training of medical students, after which the minister recommended an approval of the said MoU.

    Based on this, the minister made recommendations to President Goodluck Jonathan for approval of the facility to be upgraded to a teaching hospital.

    In the circumstances, President Jonathan approved the upgrading of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ido-Ekiti, to a teaching hospital, even as he approved the use of the hospital for the training of medical students and allied health professionals of the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD).

    The letter of approval with reference number HMH/ABJ/450/Vol. IV/152 was dated October 15, and was signed by Prof. Chukwu.

    In the letter, Prof. Chukwu said the approval will be for a period of 10 years as stipulated in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Government and the management of ABUAD.

    A similar letter to the Chairman, Board of Management of the FMC, Ido-Ekiti, by Prof. Chukwu urged him (the Chairman) to “kindly ensure that all necessary actions are carried out to actualise Mr. President’s approvals.”

    This informed ABUAD’s embarking on massive infrastructural development of FMC valued at over N2 billion. Such facilities include three-storey hostels for male and female students, dining hall, library, four fully-equipped laboratories, well-furnished classrooms, auditorium and sporting facilities. In the circumstances, the FMC wears a very distinct and appealing look.

    Reacting to the approval, the founder of ABUAD, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN) said: “We are pleased and excited to receive the approval of the MoU between the FMC, Ido-Ekiti and our university. We are indeed very grateful to President Jonathan, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu and several others who made this work.”

    Continuing, he said: “The achievement is indeed historic and groundbreaking feat. We are able to achieve in less than five years what it took some other universities between 15 and 20 years to achieve.

    “We will continue to set enviable records, and within the shortest possible time, we will give to Nigeria and Nigerians the best medical college in Nigeria which competes favourably with others in the global space…”

     

     

  • Ebola: Hit-and-run victim abandoned in Bayelsa hospital

    Ebola: Hit-and-run victim abandoned in Bayelsa hospital

    A woman described by the authorities of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, as a “victim of a hit-and-run driver”, was abandoned to die in the facility on Tuesday over fear of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

    It was gathered that doctors and nurses took to their heels when the woman was rushed to FMC following suspicion that the victim was infected by the virus.

    Following refusal by the health workers to attend to the victim, she was said to have died by 11am.

    The demise of the woman was said to have fueled rumours in Yenagoa that four persons had died of the virus at the isolated centres in the state.

    A senior worker at the hospital, who pleaded anonymity, alleged that the refusal of the doctors on duty to treat the victim caused her death.

    He said: “The victim was brought into the casualty ward by two good Samaritans. She was reported to have been hit by a hit-and-run driver along the Sanni Abacha expressway in Yenagoa.

    “Instead of treating her due to the bruises and cuts in her body,the doctors refused claiming it may be Ebola.They refused even when the victims showed pictures from the scene of the accident.

    “The woman was brought into the casualty section by 2pm on Monday. She was abandoned and she later died at about 11am on Tuesday.

    “Even when the mortuary attendants were asked to take the body to the morgue by Dr. Ogiriki and Dr. Okubo, they refused.

     

    They took the body after the intervention of the Head of Administration,mMr. Ogoro Oyondombra. It is a shame.”

    The hospital was said to be considering probing the incident to determine the level of negligence of the health workers.

    The FMC and Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH) immediately dismissed as “a dangerous” rumours that the woman died f Ebola.

    The hospitals also described as wicked the speculation that three people had died of the disease at the isolation centres.

    The Public Relations Officer, FMC, Mr Bernard Akpedi, however, confirmed the death of the middle-aged woman but said it had nothing to do with Ebola.

    “The victim was an accident victim brought to the hospital by a good Samaritan. The patient was being managed by the hospital before her death.

    “Nobody had the courage to help the victim especially as we did not have any idea of the case history. We do not have the necessary protective kits to handle this type of case and nobody wants to take unnecessary risk.”

    The Public Relations Officer, NDUTH, Mr. Francis Tonkumo, dismissed the claim that three persons died of Ebola in the school.

    He insisted that the isolated ward in the hospital was empty adding that no Ebola case had been reported in the hospital.

    “We have been bombarded by calls from everyone asking if the rumour about death from Ebola is true. It is a lie and the isolation centre at the hospital is empty. We have received the needed protective gear”, he said.

     

  • Doctors yet to resume at FMC Lokoja

    Doctors yet to resume at FMC Lokoja

    A day after the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) called off its nationwide strike, doctors at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja, Kogi State, are yet to resume.

    When The Nation called at the hospital about 11:52am yesterday, patients were waiting for resident doctors.

    A source said members of the local chapter of the NMA were deliberating on the issue.

    An attendant at the front desk confirmed that patients were yet to be attended to because resident doctors have not resumed duties.

    Said the source: “These are their (patients’) cards, but resident doctors have not resumed. We are still expecting them.”

    The Chief Medical Director, Dr. Dada Gbadebo Eleshi, said he just came out of a meeting with resident doctors, adding that other issues were involved.

    He said the doctors “will resume duty.”

    His words: “They have just left my office. They will resume, although they still have some issues to address.”

    The former Chairman of the local NMA, Dr. Kazeem Oluwamuyiwa Davies, described the call-off as momentary.

    He said the national body, among other things, agreed with the government for the recall of the resident doctors before it suspended its strike.

    “We are suspending the strike based on an understanding that the resident doctors will be called back. Without the resident doctors, the consultants cannot work and as it is now, I cannot see any activity going on.

    “Over 70 per cent of the doctors at the hospital are resident doctors.

    “They don’t even have medical officers, so government has to do the needful. It is not as if resident doctors were employed without a legal backing.”

     

  • FMC Makurdi workers down tools

    Medical services at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, were at the lowest ebb yesterday as the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) started its indefinite strike.

    When our reporter visited the centre, no medical services were being rendered.

    Patients on admission left for private hospitals and clinics for treatment.

    The main gate to the centre was locked.

    Visitors were turned back by union officials who ensured compliance with the NMA national directive.

     

  • Patients moved out of Delta hospitals

    Medical doctors in public hospitals in Delta State yesterday joined the nationwide strike embarked upon by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA).

    Doctors at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba temporarily withdrew their services as they attended to in-patients preparatory to be moved to private clinics.

    Delta State chairman of NMA, Dr. Uyi Osarenkhoe confirmed the development, saying that out-patients were being turned back as the doctors have already complied with the directive of the national.

    His words, “We are not taking new emergencies except those cases that were admitted before now. We are attending to them in preparation for them to be taken away by their relatives maybe to private clinics.”

    The Nation observed that other health workers at the institution were at their duty posts as the strike by NMA did not affect them.

     

    The strike was sequel to the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued by the national leadership of NMA to the Federal Government to address its demands.

    National President of the association, Dr. Kayode Obembe had in a letter to the government noted that the post of the Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (DCMAC) has been circularized and operational.

    Obembe had demanded the appointment of four DCMACs for teaching hospitals and three for FMCs “to assist CMACs whose statutory responsibilities are too heavy for any single individual to handle. Directors in other government agencies are supported by several deputy directors; why not the CMAC who is also a director? Such a DCMAC must have same qualifications as the CMAC.”

    Other demands, according to the NMA include the skipping of Grade level 12 (CONMESS 2) in the health sector for medical doctors and that the title of consultant should not be applied to any other worker other than medical doctors in the health sector, amongst others.

     

     

  • Hospital sues striking workers

    The management of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba, Delta State, has sued its striking workers at the National Industrial Court, Akure, Ondo State.

    The workers, under the aegis of Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), had on March 18 gone on strike to protest alleged shortfall in their February salaries and allowances.

    The union’s spokesman, Davidson Akinlaya, said the workers were not happy with the management. He said they would not resume, until their salaries are paid in full.

    Akinlaya alleged that the management had refused to comply with the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), which should have forestall shortfall in salaries.

  • Pastor needs N5m to live

    Pastor needs N5m to live

    The situation is getting almost hopeless for Femi Alao, a pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). He is bed-ridden with a life-threatening kidney ailment for which he needs N5million for kidney transplant in order to live to tell his story.

    The Ikere-Ekiti-born zonal pastor of the RCCG in Ikoom, Cross Rivers State was struck by the ailment about two years ago. Since then, his chance of survival has remained hung in the balance with a weekly dialysis to the rescue. He is currently in critical condition at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ido-Ekiti.

    A few days ago, the 42-year-old cleric who had earlier served in places like Erijiyan-Ekiti, Awo-Ekiti, Iseyin in Oyo State and Obubra, Cross Rivers State, was taken from FMC, Ido-Ekiti to Calabar to attend a state-sponsored crusade anchored by the General Overseer of the RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye. He was, however, unable to see the respected man of God for his anticipated deliverance.

    Not ready to leave things to chances, Alao’s younger brother, Anthony, in a letter dated January 17, 2014, sought the assistance of Ekiti State Government through the Office of the Commissioner for Health in order to raise funds for the kidney transplant. The family is still waiting for government’s intervention to restore his health.

    Speaking with The Nation, Alao’s younger brother, Deji, said: “His worsening plight has become the source of a major headache for us in the family. For him to live, he needs kidney transplant that can be done either in Ilorin or at the Kano University Teaching Hospital (KUTH). The cost of which is over N5 million, according to doctors treating him at FMC in Ido-Ekiti.”

    “We have spent a lot on his treatment, especially on the weekly dialysis which costs thousands of naira. We have written letters to Ekiti State Government, the leadership of RCCG and our town’s union, asking for financial support for his kidney transplant. We are confident that our ever-responsive state government and the RCCG’s leadership as well as all the people we have reached out to, will come to our son’s aid. We want Nigerians also to assist us in getting our brother out of his frightening condition.”

    Nigerians who might be willing to help, Deji said, should call him on 07035457369, 08034365192 or 08062634830.”

  • Jonathan re-appoints FMC Medical Director

    Jonathan re-appoints FMC Medical Director

    President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the reppointment of Dr Joshua Ndom-Giyan as the Medical Director/Chief Executive Officer of Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Keffi, Nasarawa State.

    The reappointment, which takes effect from April 1, was contained in a statement yesterday in Lafia, the state capital, by the FMC Public Relations Officer, Jamil Nagogo.

    Dr Ndom-Giyan’s reappointment, according to the statement, is based on his achievements during his first tenure.

    “I am congratulating you on your re-appointment as the Chief Executive of the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi. You are charged to be more dedicated and diligent to duties to ensure the development of the Health sector in the country,“the President’s statement said.

    The reappointment letter, which was conveyed by the Minister for Health, Prof. Christian Chukwu, urged the Medical Director to ensure a cordial relationship between the management and workers of the institution to enable it achieve the present administration’s health transformation agenda.

  • Panel to facilitate take over of Otuoke Hospital

    Panel to facilitate take over of Otuoke Hospital

    The Federal Government has set up an 11-member committee for the transfer of the 40-bed Otuoke Cottage Hospital.

    It has two weeks to submit its report.

    The committee, inaugurated yesterday by the Minister of Health Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, is to assess the facilities at the Otuoke Cottage Hospital and draft a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the take over of the facility by the Federal Ministry of Health, to serve as an outreach of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa.

    Besides, the Dr. Patience Osinubi-led committee is to assess the human resources for health requirement of the hospital and determine the Organogram for the linkage of the Otuoke Cottage Hospital to the FMC, Yenogoa.

    Dr. Osinubi is the Director of Hospital Services, Federal Ministry of Health.

    The committee is also to recommend other measures necessary for the smooth running of the hospital under the new ownership scheme.

    Other members of the committee include: Dr. Gods owed Eseimokumoh, Director of Medical Services (representing Bayelsa State governor); Dr. Tabowei, Acting Medical Director, Otuoke, also representing the governor; Chief Francis Egele, Attorney-General (representative of the governor; Dr. Brisibe Seiyefa and Dr. Mai Yakubu, representatives of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); Alhaji Mohammed Dambu, Chairman, Board of Management, Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa; Dr. E. Etubu, Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa; Mrs. C. Ibekwe, Legal Adviser, Federal Ministry of Health; Dr. Yang Oke, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister; and Dr. M. Onwudiwe, Head, FMC.

    The facility had been under-utilised since it was inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan a few months ago.

    The project was initially abandoned by the then Bayelsa State government, only for Jonathan, then acting president, to direct the then Minister of Health Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, to assess the place with a view to completing the project.