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  • Staff shortage hits UNTH as doctors continue strike over casualisation, non-payment of salaries

    Staff shortage hits UNTH as doctors continue strike over casualisation, non-payment of salaries

    • ‘Medics patronizing loan Apps to feed’

    A massive shortage of medical manpower has hit the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State, following retirement of several doctors in the hospital.

    The Nation learned that while there are many more who are due for retirement, plenty of other young medics have left the hospital for greener pastures abroad.

    The Nation also learnt that the growing dearth of doctors in the hospital had forced a response from the management of the hospital, who had in 2021, decided to engage over 160 medical doctors under a local arrangement known as Locum with a promise to regularise them to join the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) in six months.

    However, these medical personnel, it was gathered, have been in practice in the last two years and not sure when their conversion would come.

    The Nation learned that while the medical personnel employed under Locum continued to work, they were however being owed not less than two months arrears of their monthly stipend as they are yet to be paid salaries.

    Read Also: Reps committee threatens to invoke power of arrest against MDAs

    The development has currently grounded medical activities at the hospital as resident doctors under the aegis of Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), UNTH, Enugu Chapter, have down tools.

    The doctors, whose national association, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), had recently called off its industrial action, have refused to resume work at the UNTH, Enugu.

    In fact, less than 24 hours after the national strike was called off, members at UNTH, Enugu, convened an emergency congress and declared the continuation of the industrial action.

    Chairman of the Association of Resident Doctors, UNTH Enugu Chapter, Dr. Chinazom Ekwueme, decried the predicament of her colleagues, describing it as unacceptable and pitiable.

    She expressed worry over the prolonged locum tag on the over 160 resident doctors, urging the management to urgently resolve the issues.

    She said: “Imagine as a doctor, you were employed and over two years you move from being a registrar, to being a senior registrar and on your way to becoming a consultant, yet you are still a contract staff, you are not entitled to anything, you are not entitled to Medical Residency Training Fund, you are not entitled to pension deductions. It is unacceptable that medical doctors will be casualised.

    “The management keeps telling us there is an embargo on employment, that they can’t get a waiver, but here in our Southeast, we all know that other centres surrounding us have employed their own locum staff.

    “So, we don’t know why it has been an issue for the past two years. The last time UNTH employed was in 2021, since then, we have not got another employment; as at that 2021, we had locum doctors but they were not employed, instead, fresh people were employed.”

    One of the affected doctors, Dr Nwosu Ivan, of the Surgery Department, said that the suffering of their members was indescribable.

    He lamented that doctors are now patronising loan apps to feed their families,

    “The issue about owing locum doctors two months of salary in UNTH is very pathetic and I don’t wish that to even my enemies. I want to call on all men of goodwill, our consultants, our CMD and concerned citizens to know that doctors in UNTH are really suffering.

    “We know the price of fuel since fuel subsidy was removed, we know the effect on our economy, our purse, the prices of goods have risen so high, the cost of medical treatment for doctors.

    “You can imagine the effect on doctors who have not been paid their salary; many colleagues of ours have been trekking to work, that is a fact, because they have to park their vehicles; many of them take public transport whereby they spend thousands of naira each day and you see a lot of them showing signs of depression because of pressure from the society.

    “Many of the locum doctors are sick but can’t afford their hospital bills; these are professionals, these are civil servants, these are supposed to be the middle class of the society, but they can’t afford basic necessities because they are being owed.

    “Doctors are now patronising loan apps to feed their families, it is very shameful. These workers have committed no crime; their mates are abroad but they decided to stay back; we are not asking for much; salary is basic,” Nwosu stated.

    Her counterpart, Dr. Christian Omeje of Department of Child Dental Health, said it was heartrending that for the past two years, they have remained as locum resident doctors.

    “Since I entered into the medical programme I never heard of locum residency. Residency is a time-bound programme, so adding locum to it is making it worse.

    “It has been of serious psychological effect on us, answering that word locum has really dampened our spirit and it has affected us. We are also working as doctors and this situation is affecting the quality of attention we give to our patients,” he stated.

    Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Obinna Onodugo, insisted that it is not management’s fault that the doctors have not been regularised.

    According to him, the embargo on employment had not been lifted. He blamed the federal government for the doctors inability to receive their pay.

    “The option is for them to wait for the federal government to grant us the waiver we have since requested, for them to be made permanent staff. It’s not me that will grant them a waiver, neither do I have the right to do so without the mandate from those that gave me a job to do for them.

    “We have been to Abuja severally to the relevant agencies handling these matters. I have offered to take some of the Resident Doctors to Abuja to go and see for themselves, but they turned it down. What else am I supposed to do?”

  • Donor retools UNTH

    Donor retools UNTH

    a Germany-Based Nigerian medical practitioner, Dr. Alanna Ebigbo has donated a set of equipment to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH).

    The donated items included an endoscopy machine, the Olympus exera III, 190 series, processor, light source and three scopes.

    Receiving the equipment, which are said to be the latest models in the market, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Chris Amah described the gesture as a lifetime medical intervention.

    Amah, who was represented by the director of administration in the hospital, Mr. Bernard Ugwu, said the equipment came at a time when they were upgrading their units and departments to meet patients’ care.

    “We will remain grateful to you for having good motive for our people; I assure you our competent personnel will take good care of the machine,” Ugwu remarked.

    The head of the Endoscopy Unit, Prof. Sylvester Nwokediuko, expressed joy that their collaboration that started last year had blossomed, adding that between that period and now Dr. Alanna Ebigbo, had donated two sets of endoscopy machines and six scopes to the hospital.

    He stated that apart from the equipment, Dr. Ebigbo, also sponsored some of the UNTH staff to undergo training on endoscopy operation in Germany.

    He said, “You have noticed some lapses here, we will address them, in fact, with the latest machines I will invite the Post-Graduate Medical College of Nigeria for full accreditation of the department in the college of Medicine of the University of Nigeria, Enugu campus.

    In his remarks, a renowned cardiologist at the UNTH, Prof. Ben Anisiuba, said he had to put his conference outside the state on hold, on hearing the breaking news on the arrival of the latest model of the endoscopy machine to the hospital.

    Anisiuba stated that he was in love with diagnostic instruments, such as the endoscopy equipment, as they could also be useful for cardiologists.

    The donor, Dr. Alanna Ebigbo, had said that coming to the UNTH was to him like coming home, having been born and nurtured in Enugu.

    Ebigbo, who came with his two Nigerian technical partners, Dr. Ugochukwu Ezenyirioha and Dr. Gideon Anigbo, re-affirmed his commitment to contribute his quota to the growth of the nation’s healthcare sector, adding that his scientific partnership with the hospital had just only begun.

    He explained that part of the successes achieved in securing the equipment was as a result of his reports to the Olympus Referral Centre in Germany, which in turn smoothed the ground for him.

    One of the medical staff who benefited from the training in Germany, Dr. Uche Ijoma, the UNTH Director of public Relations, Cyril Keleze and Dr. Olive Obienu were among personalities who graced the occasion.

    Dr. Ijoma had been invited as a resource person to the European Gastroentrerology conference recently hosted by Alanna’s hospital, Das Klinkum in Germany.

  • UNTH heart patients form association

    UNTH heart patients form association

    Former heart patients who went through surgery at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) are coming together to form an association.

    Numbering over 300, they underwent their surgeries between 2013 and 2017. The chief medical director of UNTH, Dr. Chris Amah who disclosed this said the former patients aim was to encourage people with heart problem to come forward and be treated. They also aimed at raising funds for indigent patients as well as enlightenment.

    Amah disclosed that right now, over 50 children and 30 adults are queuing up for attention while 20 children were currently undergoing the surgery at the hospital.

    The current surgeries are being undertaken by the United States based VOOM Foundation led by its president, Nigerian-born Dr. Vincent Ohaji.

    The CMD said an Italian NGO, PONIC, was also using the hospital’s facilities to carry out surgeries for patients mainly from Bayelsa state. “Before now, the NGO use to fly their patients to Italy but after inspecting our facilities, they reached an agreement with us for the use of the facilities,” he said.

    Amah disclosed that both the Enugu state and Federal ministries of health have always been supportive to the hospital.

    The CMD showered praises on an Enugu oil magnate, Dr. Arthur Eze whom he said comes around to foot the bills of the patients.

    “Arthur Eze is always kind enough to help off bills of patients.“

    Amah called on wealthy Nigerians to emulate the gestures of Eze and help those less privileged who are in distress.

  • Endoscopy machines for UNTH, ESUTH

    Nigerians in the Dias-pora have continued to show their love for their country in various ways. While others award scholarship to indigent students or build schools, some are investing in healthcare. One of those notable Nigerians creating waves is German-based Dr. Alanna Ebigbo, who, despite his young age, has already started to give his support to the country.

    Ebigbo donated some multi-million naira endoscopy equipment to both the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla Enugu and the ESUT Parklane Teaching Hospital, Enugu.

    Receiving the equipment, the chief medical director of the University of Nigeria Teaching UNTH, Dr. Chris Amah, said the endoscopy machine would boost healthcare in the hospital.

    Amah, who was represented by the chairman of the medical advisory committee of the hospital, Dr. Obinna Onodugo, re-affirmed that the hospital would continue to improve in patients care, adding that lots of progress had been recorded since the inception of the present administration.

    While thanking Ebigbo for the donation, the CMD assured that they would make effective use of the equipment for the benefit of their patients and in the training of medical students.

    The head of the gastroenterology unit, department of medicine, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Prof. Sylvester Nwokediuko, described the donation of the endoscopy machine as a life-saving intervention.

    Nwokediuko, said the donation of the machine was timely, as it came when the hospital dearly needed it to enhance its diagnosis of patients.

    Ebigbo, had explained that he donated the equipment as his contribution to not only boost healthcare in the country but as a way of giving back to the society where he was born and nurtured.

    Ebigbo, who is the son of former deputy vice chancellor, University of Nigeria, Enugu – Campus, (UNEC), Prof. Peter Ebigbo, appreciated the warm reception given to him and his group by the UNTH management, even as he promised to continue to support the hospital.

    And at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT Parklane Teaching Hospital, Enugu, the provost, ESUT College of Medicine, Prof. Anthony Ugochukwu who received the equipment, said that the donation of the endoscopy machine was a new dawn in health delivery in the hospital.

    Ugochukwu, noted with delight that the equipment would not only be useful to their patients and students, but would provide adequate diagnostic services for people in the entire Eastern Nigeria.

    Having made a similar donation to the hospital last year, the provost expressed with joy that their endoscopy unit was now among the best equipped in the country and thanked Dr. Alanna Ebigbo for his interest in Parklane Teaching Hospital.

    Ebigbo, revealed that as a child he had the dream of rendering humanitarian services to his people as God continued to bless him with resources.

    According to him: “What gives me the greatest joy is that some sick people are being treated with the help of the endoscopy machine I donated to both hospitals UNTH and Parklane and I will not relent in my effort to do more”.

    The group, led Ebigbo, later paid a courtesy visit to the chief medical director of the ESUT Parklane Teaching Hospital, Ennugu, Dr. Gabriel Njeze, in his office.

    Apart from donating the equipment, Ebigbo and his partners, also trained the staff of both hospitals on the use of the endoscopy machine.

  • Health minister hails UNTH

    Health minister hails UNTH

    Impressed by the peaceful atmosphere at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku Ozalla, Enugu State, visiting Health Minister, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said administrators of other health facilities in the country should emulate the leadership style of Dr. Chris Amah, the chief medical director of the hospital.

    Adewole stated that no organisation could achieve progress without peace and unity, stressing that the crowd that welcomed him to UNTH was a practical demonstration that the management team is united, even as he noted that patients who receive treatment under a peaceful atmosphere would heal faster.

    He said, “This is my third time of visiting UNTH in the past 15 years as union leader, but this time, the warmth the current CMD is radiating since my arrival has not been seen anywhere in my visits to other hospitals in the country, and to reward him, funds to enable him to complete some critical projects would be captured in our 2017 budget.”

    He, however, told medical directors of National Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu and Neuropsychiatric hospital Enugu, not to lose hope, as their hospitals would be captured in due course. He also disclosed that UNTH has been selected among seven hospitals in the country to be designated as specialist centers for the treatment of cancer, while government would continue to encourage its cardiothoracic centre of excellence for open heart surgery adding that 200 cancer machines would soon be delivered to hospitals.

    The minster continued, “why do we go to India and other countries for treatment, the best place one can receive treatment and recover fast, is within your country where the medical personnel can speak the same language with you, in fact, the present administration has vowed to improve the health sector so as to discourage medical tourism among our people.”

    Adewole called on state governments not to focus only on primary healthcare, but to address general health matters, especially as it concerns maternal mortality which was high at the moment.

    Earlier while receiving the minister, the chief medical director of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, UNTH, Dr. Chris Amah, attributed the progress recorded since his appointment in 2011 to the combined efforts of his management team.

    Amah, said that although, UNTH pioneered open heart surgery in South Saharan Africa in 1974, under late renowned surgeon Prof. Febian Udekwu, and recorded Africa’s first separation of Siamese twins in 1976 under Prof. Nene Obianyo, he restored open heart surgery services in march 2013, after over ten years of inactivity.

    The pediatric surgeon stated that after reactivating the cardiothoracic centre of excellence with support from outside the country and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, it has performed over 175 open heart surgeries on adults and children since 2013, which according to him, was higher than the total number performed since the inception of UNTH more than 46 years ago.

    He praised the health minister for visiting the hospital despite his busy schedules, saying the gesture showed his commitment to duty and love for UNTH. The minister later visited some departments and wards, including the cardiothoracic centre, where he interacted with some patients and wished them quick recovery.

    The chairman of the medical advisory committee, Dr. Obinna Onodugo, the director of finance, Mr. Chukwudi Onuchukwu Chocho, the director of the Post graduate studies, Dr. Linda Oge Okoye, the director of administration, Barr. Simon Nkume, head of Nursing services, Mrs. Chinwe Achukwu, the coordinator post Basic Peri-Operative, Nursing school, Dr. Nkiru Azike and head, Public Relations, Mr. Cyril Keleze were on law to receive the minister during the visit.

    Also present on the occasion were professors Basden Onwubere, Martin Aghaji and Benedict Anisiuba, all of the cardiothoracic centre, the medical directors of National Orthopaedic hospital Enugu, Dr. Cajetan Nwadinigwe and Dr. Jojo Onwukwe of the Nueropsychiatric hospital, Enugu as well as the Enugu State Commissioner for health, Dr. Sam Ngwu.

  • UNTH: Excelling in open heart surgery

    UNTH: Excelling in open heart surgery

    Some foreign partners were involved but the 108 heart procedures at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital in Enugu prove that even, critical ailments can be treated at home. CHRIS OJI reports

    There are reasons to cheer the feat. One, those 108 heart patients have been put out of their life-threatening worries. They have been breathing better and can face the world with hope. Two, the fact that they had their open heart surgeries at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, not India or some country in Europe, shows that with more effort, even critical conditions can be cured in Nigeria. This will help, as the case of the 108 patients proves, that much-needed foreign exchange can be saved. Those 108 procedures were conducted at the hospital over two years.

    UNTH known as the Centre of Excellence in cardiothoracic surgery was in the news recently when the resident doctors embarked on a strike over what they called “lack of equipment and amenities”.

    But while the doctors were striking, the hospital was busy carrying out open heart surgeries on patients with various ailments.

    A total of 13 patients were attended to during the current exercise, all of them adults. That of children will come up in November. The surgeries were performed in collaboration with two Indian doctors, Aerra Vikram and Parlapelly Srinivas.

    The first open heart surgery at UNTH was performed in 1974 by the late Prof. Udokwu with the collaboration of Egyptian doctors. It was after that surgery that the hospital earned its designation as the national centre of excellence in cardiothoracic surgery.

    The hospital continued performing open heart surgeries until 2003 when it had a 10-year interregnum due partly to its relocation from Enugu metropolis to its permanent site at Ituku/Ozalla, about 15 minutes drive from Enugu. The permanent site had no purpose-built facility for the programme.

    But with the coming of the current Chief Medical Director, Dr. Christopher Amah in 2011, efforts to revamp the surgery programme were made and in 2013, the flagship programme for that designation came alive with the help of oversea partners who operate on charity.

    With the help of these partners, the hospital was able to carry out open heart surgeries at subsidised rates. The partners also supplied equipment to the hospital with some of the best medical gadgets available in any part of the world. In fact, the leader of the Indian doctors that were in the current team, Aerra Vikran confessed to reporters that they do not have such equipment in their hospitals in India

    While conducting reporters round the Open Heart Surgery Centre, CMD, Dr. Amah disclosed that with the treatment of the 13 patients under the current programme, the number of patients treated since resumption in 2013 totalled 108. The patients with various degrees of heart problems were successfully treated.

    Amah said the bulk of the patients had been billed for surgeries in other parts of the world before the intervention of the UNTH Open Heart surgery and were   drawn from various parts of the country.

    Amah said that the good thing about the exercise was that it was done at reduced cost compared to what the patients would spend travelling overseas, adding that the feat was made possible by the partnership the hospital had with foreign organisations.

    Amah said that organisations like Voom Foundation, Rotary International, among others, had always partnered with the hospital to provide human and material support to the program, adding that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) would soon become a collaborator.

    He stated 13 patients were operated on in the current open heart surgery which began on October 19.

    The CMD said the unique thing about the current programme was that only two alien doctors were in the team while 90 per cent of the medical experts were drawn from the hospital. This, he said, was an indication that local experts would completely take over the programme in the next few months.

    “Our target is to do open heart surgery every month. We want to get to a point where we now do this routinely but more importantly at an affordable rate to Nigerians. We want to discourage medical tourism because of what Nigerians put into it. The UNTH is a centre of excellence and it is our hope that we keep the tempo”.

    Amah told reporters that he was happy that the strike action embarked upon by Association of Resident Doctors did not affect the current programme, expressing regrets that the doctors could embark on strike over issues that never existed. He said those who embarked on strike action did not mean well for the hospital but were chasing after selfish benefits.

    “The money they seek has no approval from federal government. We have explained this severally to them but to no avail. Instead they choose the part of blackmail and feeding the public with falsehood. It is a pity. They should retrace their steps for good,” he said.

    He praised the patriotism of those doctors who stayed behind and joined in ensuring the success of the latest programme. He equally dismissed the claim by the striking resident doctors that the hospital uses candles and lamps to perform surgeries and that there was no water in the hospital.

    “I wonder what they want to achieve by dishing out such falsehood. In the Open Heart Surgery Centre, we have 24 hours nonstop lighting with two 350 KVA generator sets and more than two functional boreholes for the centre. On the whole we have 13 boreholes being sunk for the hospital,” he stressed.

    He explained that all the falsehood being placed on the management of the hospital was its decision to review some contracts in order to save costs adding that over N120 million previously spent on outsourced services handled by contractors per month had been saved following the decision to handle the services internally. These services were reviewed with effect from July this year.

    The review followed the expiration of the five-year contracts in the area of laundry, cleaning and security services in the hospital.

    He added that the review had also infused competition and efficiency in the system as more than one contractor now handle these services within the hospital.

    Giving a breakdown of the figures, he stated that cleaning services that was contracted out for over N6 million monthly had been reviewed to about N3 million with two contractors engaged for the service, while laundry services had also been reviewed downwards from over N6 million to about N1.5 million.

    Amah said the hospital was paying over N8 million naira for security services at the old and permanent sites of the hospital contracted to one security firm, but has now added one more security fýirm which are now paid a little above N6 million naira.

    He disclosed that cutting of grass within the hospital premises that was going for about N12 million has been reviewed downward to about N3m following the donation of weed slashers by a friend of the hospital.

    “It is something to be happy about because it will help us develop the hospital further. Some of these services were contracted out for upto five years before we came on board. We waited for the contracts to elapse to be able to look at them again and we are happy to report that the hospital has made some great saves. Each month we are making about N10 million from these services against what we were paying previously,” Amah stated.

    He said the period of the contracts had also been reduced from five to two years, saying it was a way to monitor performance.

    ýHe said his desire was to make the hospital one of the reference centres in the country, regretting however that incessant strikes by resident doctors had affected the activities of the hospital.

    He however, appealed to the striking doctors to return to work in the

    interest of Nigerians dying daily owing to the absense of the doctors from their duty posts.

    Amah added that despite scarcity of funds the management is currently rehabilitating Ward 9 to upgrade it to international status like the National Centre for Cardiothoracic (heart) surgery which has successfully performed over 90 procedures.

    He said that the hospital facilities had been seriously given facelift for improved service delivery adding that the Amenity Ward could be compared with any standard hospital overseas.

    The CMD appealed to those instigating doctor’s strikes to rethink.

     

  • UNTH Doctors vows to continue ten weeks old strike

    UNTH Doctors vows to continue ten weeks old strike

    The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) has vowed to continue its indefinite strike until the hospital yields to their demands.

    In a communique issued in Ibadan by the President of ARD, Dr Ugwuoke Aloy Ifedinso and it’s General Secretary, Dr Ndiokwelu Chibuzo,‎said after an exhaustive and careful debate by the members of the association, they unanimously resolved that the ten weeks old strike of the association will continue indefinitely until the hospital management makes adequate commitment towards meeting all their legitimate demands.

    “The management has done nothing different from the state of things before the strike commenced.

    W advised the hospital management in the best interest of the numerous patients of UNTH to liaise with their colleagues in other Federal Teaching Hospitals in the country to know how thy implement and paid the salaries and hence industrial harmony exist.

    “The payment of our Teaching Allowance Arrears, advancement arrears, months relativity arrears, all outstanding update and exam refunds and capitations due to ARD UNTH is sacrosanct and must be cleared to bring our members at par with their colleagues in other centres.

    ” all the excos and all volunteering members of our association are mandated to do all within the ambit of the law to expose the injustices being meted out on our members to the whole world and cause the UNTH management to do the needful.” they said

    The association also demands for the forensic auditing of UNTH personnel records in conjunction with NMA Enugu State and MDCAN UNTH as agreed in a meeting between the NMA and Committee of CMDs/MDs several months ago.

    They said:”This of course will include the critical review of UNTH warrant of pay and nominal roll to ascertain how UNTH personnel cost has been utilized in the past four years at least.

    ‎”We express our full commitment and support for the ‘Change’ agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari which has already started yielding enormous and palpable fruits to the ordinary Nigerians. We however appeal to the President to cause the UNTH management to immediately put an end to this impasse by shifting grounds in favour of our demands which are not only legitimate but attainable,” the communique said.

  • UNTH conducts first Truncus Arteriosus heart surgery

    UNTH conducts first Truncus Arteriosus heart surgery

    A team of doctors at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, on Wednesday successfully carried out the first `Truncus Arteriosus’ heart surgery in Nigeria.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the team, led by an expatriate surgeon, Prof. Willaim Novick, conducted the surgery to correct the dysfunctional heart of a 15-months-old baby.

    Novick, while briefing Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, who had gone to witness the surgery, described it as an extreme rare cardiac condition and the first of such a case in Nigeria.

    “We took our chances on the 15-month-old baby and it was successful.”

    According to the surgeon, `Truncus Arteriosus’ is something that happened inside the heart, where the heart has only one blood supplying vessel.

    “A normal heart has one vessel that leaves the right side and goes to the lungs and another vessel that leaves the left side of the heart and goes to the body.

    “In Truncus Arteriosus, the patient does not have two defined vessels leaving the heart. He has one vessel. So, there is no separation between the lungs’ blood flow and the body blood flow.

    “So the problem results in too much blood going to the lungs and not enough going to the body. The operation we did is a curative one to correct the defect,” Novick explained.

    In his remarks, the Chief Medical Director of UNTH, Dr Christopher Amah, told the governor that most of the surgeons were from the U.S., Canada and the UK.

    Amah said that the hospital has collaborated with the expatriate cardiac surgeons for many years.

    “They are here to join hands with the team in UNTH to perform open heart surgeries on 25 sick Nigerian children who may have died prematurely, if help had not come through this exercise.

    “Dr Novick was here in 2003 as the lead surgeon to perform similar surgeries on Nigerian children under the sponsorship of Kanu Nwankwo Heart Foundation and he is here to repeat this kindness for no payment.

    “It may interest you to note that the first Open Heart Surgery in black Africa was performed at UNTH on Feb. 1, 1974, by our indigenous staff, with the collaboration of a renowned heart surgeon, Prof. Magdi Yacoub,” he said.

    Amah said that UNTH was a leading centre for open heart surgery, adding that no fewer than 95 of such surgeries had been done in the hospital from 2013 to date, with more than 90 per cent success.

    The director appealed to the state government to collaborate with UNTH to make the treatment of heart-related ailments affordable to helpless Nigerian children.

    Responding, Ugwuanyi said that the state government would do its best to support the children in dire need.

    “These children are helpless and there is reasons for God to allow us occupy this leadership position. If their parents cannot help them, then we should come in and help.”

    NAN reports that Ugwuanyi made a donation of N5 million to assist the children who were undergoing surgery and paid the hospital bills of indigent patients held back by the hospital management for their inability to settle their bills.

  • UNTH honours VC

    UNTH honours VC

    In what looked like the celebration of excellence, the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State, last week at Enugu, presented its Millennium Award of Excellence to the vice chancellor, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Prof. Chukwuma Ozumba. Ozumba, who is a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology.

    Staff of the department had packaged the grand event to celebrate and thank God that one of its members, Prof. Ozumba is the first to be appointed the vice chancellor of the University of Nigeria since its inception in 1960.

    The occasion attracted renowned gynaecologists and other medical professionals from within and outside the country, heads of health institutions and principal officers of the University.

    The roll call included the Chief Medical director of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Dr. Chris Amah,  former deputy vice chancellor of University of Nigeria Enugu – campus, Prof. Bede Ibe, former provost college of medicine, UNN, Prof Martin Aghaji, the current provost of college of medicine, UNN, Prof. Ernest Onwasigwe and his deputy, Prof. Fidelis Ebele Ejezie.

    Others were, Prof. Nene Obianyo who was former provost college of medicine ESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu, the doyen of obstetrics and gynaecology Prof. Arthur Ikeme, Prof. Iloabachie, Prof. Chukwudebelu, the controller of the Federal Mortgage Bank Enugu, Mr. Ibuzo Chris, the former dean, faculty of dentistry UNN and chairman Welfare Committee of the college of medicine, UNN, Dr. Mrs. Linda Oge Okoye, Dr. Peter Nkwo and Prof. Vincent Emeka Egwuatu, the chairman of the occasion.

    The editor-in-chief of the college of medicine Newsletter, Dr. Obi Ikechukwu, Dr. Uche Agu, of the department of  gynaecology and Ezennia Austin Akpali of the  department of medical rehabilitation medicine, Enugu – Campus of UNN were also there.

    The elated vice chancellor of UNN, Prof. Chukwuma Ozumba, said that machinery had been set in motion to ensure that UNN would be ranked among best Universities in Africa within the next 18 months.

    He restated that research, intellectual development and improvement of staff welfare remained the main trust of his administration, adding that his recent trip abroad was part of a robust attempt to link the University of Nigeria with the best in the world for growth.

    Ozumba expressed joy that during his foreign trip, he was received warmly everywhere he visited “UNN will continue to be better, UNN has changed and research is at its peak now”.

    He, however, called for patience and support of all stakeholders and told the crowded audience to better assess him after his tenure.

    “For now, I am yet to work for one year, but anyone close to the university would know that Prof. Ozumba is not sleeping, that Prof. Ozumba, who changed the face of the college of medicine, when he served as provost, has not changed”, he further remarked.

    The University don praised the head of department of obstetrics and gynaecology, UNN, Prof. Samuel Nnamdi Obi, for organizing the event, stressing that despite the busy schedules of the doctors and other logistical challenges, the occasion was a huge success.

    According to him “although, the department is always on the move since I joined it as a house officer several years ago, we need occasions like this where we can dine and wine and re-new friendship, I thank some of my teachers who shelved their busy schedules to honour me today, I remain grateful”.

    Ozumba, also congratulated Dr. Chris Amah on his re-appointment as chief medical director of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital for a second four-year tenure.

    The organizer of the event and head department of obstetrics and gynaecology, UNTH, Prof. Samuel Nnamdi Obi, explained that the departmental get together was designed to enhance social interaction and promote love among staff and students, see those we have not seen for some time and say farewell to those retiring.

    Obi said that the 2015 edition was unique, as it afforded them the opportunity to honour one of their own, an erudite scholar, Prof. Chukwuma Ozumba, who rose to the position of vice chancellor of the University on June last year.

    The chairman  of the occasion, Prof. Vincent Emeka Egwuatu of the ESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu, charged the vice chancellor to do all he could to lift UNN and regretted that despite its age and population, it was not ranked among 50 best Universities in Africa.

    Also speaking, the doyen of gynaecology and the former president of the Rotary Club of Enugu, Prof. Arthur Ikeme, described Prof. Chukwum Ozumba as the pride of the college of medicine.

    He said following his performance profile in academic and administration since he joined the department, he was not surprised that Prof. Ozumba would rise so rapidly and traced his success to   his school days at Government College, Umuahia, where he gained quality education and leadership training.

    The department also honoured one of its staffs, Mrs Edith Abadom for high productivity and discipline.

  • Enugu rehabilitates UNTH roads

    Enugu rehabilitates UNTH roads

    The Enugu State Government is extending its massive road reconstruction to federal institutions. It has begun the construction of roads within the Federal Government-owned University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla.

    The internal roads at the UNTH are about 5.6 kilometres while the contract sum was put at N680 million. The rehabilitation would include drainage and culverts where necessary.

    The Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Godwin Madueke, who spoke on behalf of thr government at the flag-off ceremony, said the state government would not relent in its effort to positively touch the lives of the people through the provision of basic infrastructure and social services.

    The commissioner further explained that the government was prompted to intervene in the rehabilitation of the UNTH roads as a result of several requests and complaints about the unpleasant condition of the roads by patients and staff of the hospital.

    According to him, the UNTH is not the first institution to benefit from the state government’s roads reconstruction programme. He added: “We are working on the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu State College of Education and University of Nigeria, Nsukka roads.

    He said the government’s decision was informed by the needs and yearnings of the people in the state, despite the fact that some of the institutions belonged to the Federal Government.

    The Chief Medical Director of UNTH, Dr. Christopher Amah expressed gratitude to the state government for coming to the aid of the teaching hospital. “Our joy knows no bound,” he said.

    The Managing Director of Zarcus Nigeria Limited, the construction firm handling the rehabilitation project, Mr. Shuaib Adu Ojo promised to deliver according to specification. “I want to say we are credible. All things being equal, we can beat the deadline.

    Members of the community hosting the UNTH, staff and patients who were present during the flag-off narrated ugly ordeals while plying the roads. They said at every portion of the roads, one had to make a halt even with patients who require urgent attention.

    “The roads had been terrible and embarrassing. They affect the efficiency of services at the hospital,” said one member of staff of the hospital.