The David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital, Uburu, Ebonyi state, has concluded plans to undertake free dialysis for indigent patients in its fully activated renal department by the first quarter of 2024.
The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Uzoma Maryrose Agwu disclosed this Tuesday in a chat with Newsmen in her office.
Agwu, a consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician said, although the hospital was new, it has made tremendous breakthroughs in medical practice.
She explained that since the activation of the key medical departments of the hospital, it has done more than 100 surgeries, all successful, from cesarean section to plastic surgery which has also started in the facility.
Agwu further explained : “The gynaecology department has also done more that 31 surgeries, and considering how young we are, that is not a mean feat.
“And we have done more than a thousand radiological investigations.
“The hospital has also excelled in burr hole surgery.
“We just activated our renal department, and by the 2nd week of January 2024, we are going to start our dialysis at the department.
“We plan to start free dialysis session for some indigent patients by that February as part of our social responsibility, and that will help us create awareness for the centre.”
The CMD attributed part of the successes of the hospital to the state-of-the-art medical equipments and facilities In the hospital which she noted were intentionally procured to stem the tides of medical tourism abroad.
She emphasized that the Cancer centre of the University was second to none in the country.
“We have activated the renal centre, the eye centre and the sophistically equipment Cancer centre; radiology centre and the oncology centre.
“We have full compliment of radiological services second to none in the country: we have the MRI machine, the C.T Scan, the mammogram, and both the mobile and static X-ray machines, to mention but a few.
“Today we have patients coming from all over the country to seek medical services here.” Agwu said.
Agwu further attributed the successes to staff motivation which she said was among her top priorities.
“I am a staff oriented CMD.
“My priority is my staff, and after that, other things follow.
“I believe that if you have a happy staff, encouraged and motivated staff, you can be sure of getting the best from them.”
Agwu who emphasized that the hospital was fully taken over by the federal government on 6th September, 2022 said the hospital has been gazetted and all the staff registered in the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) of the federal government.
She said: “One of the major challenges we had at the onset was the issue of salaries, but that was expected.
“As a new institution taken over by the federal government, it took up to 8 months to tidy up the processes.
“Today however, the staff has fully been enrolled into the IPPIS, and everyone is happy having overcome those periods of lack of salaries.”
