Two very important and strategic institutions, the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital, DUFUTH and the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, DUFUHS, Uburu, Ebonyi State, have remained part of the many important landmarks of David Umahi’s administration in Ebonyi State.
The twin establishments share both common physical location and history. Both were established as King David University of Medical Sciences and King David University Teaching hospital respectively.
While the university was established in April 2021 with accreditation from the Nigeria Universities Commission on July 7, 2021, the hospital was officially inaugurated by former President Buhari on May 5, 2022. Both the hospital and the university were taken over by the federal government on September 6th and 7th, 2022, and renamed David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital and David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences respectively.
The hospital has as its Chief Medical Director a seasoned medical doctor and professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Prof. Uzoma Maryrose Agwu while a professor of Parasitology with a background in Zoology, Jesse Uneke is the appointed Vice Chancellor of the University.
The teaching hospital with its rare state-of-the-art medical equipments and quality personnel has made tremendous breakthroughs in various fields of medical practice, ranging from regular care to complex brain surgeries, orthopedic surgeries and renal management.
The University has also done relatively well having matriculated three sets of students since 2022 and warming up for the 4th batch.
It is however, sad to observe that the world class teaching hospital has recently been facing some unwarranted antagonism and administrative attacks daily perpetrated against it by its twin institution, DUFUHS.
The University which ordinarily should complement the services of the hospital through research and cooperative manpower development seems to allegedly have constituted itself recently, a clog in the wheel of progress of the hospital.
An insider source from the University bloc, who pleaded anonymity, alleged that the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Jesse Uneke, has been crossing boundaries and unleashing unbridled administrative rascality against the management of the hospital under the headship of the CMD, Prof. Agwu.
The VC’s overbearing attitude against the hospital, the source said, has recently assumed a dangerous dimension, including maligning the person, reputation of the CMD before students and de-marketing the health institution through gross dissemination of falsehood to the hospital’s founder and elders of the host community.
A high-ranking member of the University Senate has also recently blown the whistle on the Vice Chancellor’s alleged “abuse of power, authoritarian leadership, high-handed policies, lack of accountability and blatant disregard for administrative boundaries”, stressing that the situation warrants close attention to ensure that institutional protocols are respected and power is exercised responsibly.
At the center of the controversy is a memo leaked to the press, dated January 9, 2025, which detailed the VC’s recent conspiracy and unguided action, in collusion with some members of the University Senate to overthrow the CMD, culminating in a memo passing a vote of no confidence on the CMD, the head of an institution not under the VC’s administrative control.
According to the source: “The VC also went ahead ridiculously in the memo to query the CMD to explain within 72 hours why disciplinary actions must not be taken against her for not dancing in favour of his whims and caprices, gallivanting as if the CMD is a mere staff in his office.
“This happened in total disrespect for the office of the CMD and in effusive negligence of the outcome of a friendly meeting held by the management of the two institutions on 19th November, 2024, aimed at fashioning an memorandum of understanding for a more effective collaboration.”
In the face of the VC’s failure to secure a legal backing of gazette for the University and employ junior workers to beef up its daily job output, the source alleged that he, out of bitterness has been fighting tooth and nail to truncate the excellent services in the hospital through removal of vital hospital equipment from the Ophthalmology department, recent takeover of the hospital’s Renal Centre, Eye and Cancer Centres among other actions which have robbed some departments off equipment to work with.
In an ideal setting, where roles are clearly defined, teaching hospitals provide medical care to patients, clinical training and hands-on experience for students, while Universities contribute to development of new treatments and therapies.
It is only when a University system loses track of its direction that they delve into renal dialysis, surgeries and tertiary level critical care, as witnessed two weeks ago when DUFUHS annexed the renal centre earlier managed by DUFUTH.
A security guard at the main entrance gate also confirmed another disturbing allegation against the University Management: “The most disturbing part is that the VC often turns down patients coming to seek care in the hospital.
“He orders the stopping of bikes carrying patients at the gate, forcing them to trek long distances to get to the hospital complex.
“I think the VC aims all these actions at the hospital CMD”, the source alleged.
Obviously, the allegations above, whether true or not, reveals that all is not well with the relationship between the management of the two sister institutions, a development that raises some pertinent questions: Are the two institutions under the same federal Ministry and board; are they under one administrative management or is any one management superior to the other as to have full control over it and more?
In their administrative setup, the teaching hospital is under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of health while the University is under Education. Their relationship should be of collaborative and complementary nature and not one attempting to subsume and dominate the other.
According to Nigeria’s Federal establishments’ law, universities do not have complete control over their teaching hospitals. While they are affiliated and heavily involved in their operations, the management of teaching hospitals primarily falls under the Federal Government, with specific Boards overseeing day-to-day operations. This is as outlined in the “University Teaching Hospitals’ Reconstitution of Boards, etc. Act”.
While the university plays a significant role in medical education by utilizing the hospital facilities for student training and clinical practice, it does not directly control the hospital.
Each teaching hospital has a designated Board of Management which is responsible for the hospital’s administration, including clinical operations, finances, and staff matters.
As far as the organogram of a teaching hospital is concerned, the CMD is at the apex of its internal management, only answerable to the board the same way the Vice Chancellor is in the University with recourse to the University Council and subsequently, the Senate. If that is the case therefore, one cannot stop wondering why the scenario. DUFUHS’ power play against its teaching hospital, the quest for control and the shadow of domination it seeks to cast over DUFUTH not only reveals a dark side of ambition but poses a threat to medical excellence at both institutions.
Could it be because the institutions share the same location and premises? Could it be that the both appointees are professors who hail from the same community or because the CMD is married to another community in the same local government area? Or could it be that there is an issue of lack of understanding of medical education and healthcare delivery manifesting in the form of these series of administrative blunders? Too many questions begging for answers!
It has therefore become imperative that the Federal Ministry of Health through its department of hospital Services, wade in to nip the brewing crisis in the bud through delineation of administrative boundaries between the institutions. Not doing so may plunge the both institutions into a mess that may negate the laudable ideals of establishing the teaching hospital and rob the citizens off the accruing benefits from it. A stitch in time saves even more than nine.
