Established on November 20, 1957, the University College Hospital, (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State, is the country’s premier teaching hospital. How has the hospital been faring 55 years since its establishment? OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA, who was at the hospital, reports.
With a 500-bed capacity, the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State, made its debut in 1952. Its coming was in response to the need for the training of medical personnel and other health care professionals for the country and the West African sub-region.
Fifty-five years after its establishment, the hospital has 850 bed spaces and 163 examination couches. The current bed occupancy ranges from 60 to 70 per cent.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof Temitope Alonge, a product of the institution, described the challenges as daunting, but surmountable.
The hospital has trained 6,051 doctors, 501 dentists, 4,513 nurses, 2,307 midwives, 471 Peri-operative nurses, 1,062 laboratory scientists, 576 environmental health officers tutors, 451 nurse/midwives/public health educators, 326 primary health care tutors, 590 community health officers, 640 physiotherapists, 551 health information management personnel (formally referred to as Medical Records Officers) and 1,394 resident doctors.
The patients turn out in the accident and emergency (A and E) Department of the hospital averages 6,000 annually and about 150,000 new cases are attended to, and go through the various clinics every year. The million clientele mark had been attained.
Available facilities include Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine (MRI), Helical CT Scanner, Gamma Camera (Nuclear Medicine Facilities), Radiotherapy High dose, Brachytherapy, State of-the-art Operating Theatre Suites, First class Intensive Care Unit (Burns Beds), Mammography machine, ECG, Echocardiography, State-of-the-art Ultrasonography, Ambulance pick-up services, Modern laboratories, Tele-medicine. Most of the equipment supplied under the VAMED project had packed up because, “even at the point of supply they were obsolete”, hinted a source.
“Due to the aforementioned facilities, manpower and track records, the hospital enjoys wide patronage of both national and international clientele,” Prof Alonge said, who became CMD in 2011.
The hospital is not resting on its oars and is trying to improve on the medical breakthroughs that it initiated and is known for, “despite challenges in funding and electricity. In the late 70s, the hospital pioneered open heart surgeries in Nigeria. More recently with the refurbishment of the operating theatres and the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital, UCH reactivated open heart surgery with three open heart surgeries successfully with assistance from colleagues in the United States,” Prof Alonge.
He cited more achievements: “Since 1994, UCH has been performing the transurethral dissection of the Prostrate (TURP) and in 2005 organised the first national training workshop for all relevant cadres. Between 1995 and 1996, the hospital has successfully carried out Charnley hip replacement and Johnson and Johnson knee arthroplasties. The hospital acquired two adult arthroscopes recently and to date over 12 knees arthroscopic surgeries have been carried out successfully.
“The newly established nuclear medicine department, the first ever in the country has commenced bone scanning services using radioactive pharmaceuticals. This service is available both for medical and oncological diagnosis and treatment. Diagnostic medical endoscopy of both upper and lower gastrointestinal tract has been done at the UCH. Since the 1980’s the newly refurbished endoscopy unit has broadened the scope with services that now include fibre optic endoscopy of the oesophagus. We procured N52, instruments to increase ability and capability to treat. It was supplied by Exco Lab, Germany,” said Prof Alonge.
As for the private suites, the Chief Medical Director said: “Preference for medical treatment abroad by those who can afford it is no longer new for obvious reasons, while all the human resources in the health sector, who favourably compare with their counterparts all over the world, are available here in Nigeria. These resources as you may know are mostly located in teaching hospitals of the country of which UCH is premier.
“The in-patient facilities consist of 36 well furnished and air-conditioned suites of international standard on the fourth floor of Neuroscience Building with functional elevators. It is a five-star clinical hotel settings; guaranteeing maximum comfort and hospitality with steady electricity and water supplies. It is an excellent alternative to medical treatment abroad.
“Its benefits include unhindered access to highly skilled professionals; convenient and prompt consultations to patient’s satisfaction in medical/surgical specialties and sub-specialties. Surgical operations and other procedures will be carried out within a short time of establishing diagnosis; adequate security cover and full privacy; right to choose desired consultants; qualified and courteous personnel at your service and all modern diagnosis/medical equipment at your fingertips.”
On the management of human errors, especially those that led to patient’s death or disability ; the hospital has instituted a Morbidity and Mortality Committee, chaired by the CMD. When the CMD is not in town, the chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), Dr Jesse Otegbayo stand for him.
“We meet first Thursday of each month to review death cases. This internal regulation is put in place to ensure that patients get best care. Each death is probed to determine if such was preventable or not. Whoever is culpable is sanctioned. No more cover up in UCH. Nobody can mess up the system,” he said.
On the case of eight-year-old Kehinde Babalola, who had her arm amputated following bungled treatment at the hospital, when she was a-month old, the CMD said: “The agreement was for the hospital to train the child to tertiary education level, right from childhood of the unfortunate incident.
“But management discovered that some people have vested interests and won’t allow the benefits get to the child. So, we decided that before any financial commitment is released, there must be evidence. For example, evidence of receipts obtained from schools, purchases among other things that would indicate that the child is actually schooling. Alas, there is foot dragging by the parties. The funding for the girl is intact, only that the parties involved don’t always come up with concrete or credible evidences.”
On how some projects have been executed despite fund shortage, Otegbayo said the solution lies in public private partnership (PPP).
“For instance, the ultra modern Cardiac Theatre/ Cardiac Laboratory, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a PPP initiative between UCH and Journal of the Nation Cancer Institute (JNCI). Team work is working for us. UCH is rated Third in Africa, Seventh in Nigeria based on academic research/citations. With advancement in technology, the use of bottles, rubber bungs and aluminum caps for the productions of large volume infusions could not be continued. However, the production of small volume infusions/injections e.g. sodium bicarbonate, potassium chloride, magnesium sulphate nasal drops have continued to date and this is unique to the UCH Ibadan Pharmacy Department. With the advent of the PPP initiatives of the Federal Government, the hospital is now in the process of producing large volume of infusions e.g. normal saline using the latest technology of form-fill-seal technique using polypropylene materials.
“UCH was the first institution in Nigeria to produce sterile products used for its patients. The production of infusions including intravenous fluids (i.e. normal saline, five per cent dextrose, Hartman’s solution, dialysing fluids-which were packaged in plasmosan bottles, smaller injections like Morphine sulphate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium chloride- which were filled in empty streptomycin and penicillin bottles), eye drops, nasal drops date back to1952 as stated in the 1953 handing over note of Mr M. Ritchie who pioneered the pharmacy department. Three per cent of our internally generated funds go to research and this has improved our ranking globally, but we need more.
“At the moment, there are sundry renovations and projects going on, just to ensure we keep the flag flying. The Government should help the golden chicken to produce more golden eggs.”
