Adewolu Tasks UBTH, UNIBEN on Research, Training
The Chairman, Board of Management of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Bashorun Adedoja Adewolu, has cautioned the management against acts that are capable of undermining the vision of its founding fathers.
Adewolu made the call yesterday in Benin City, during the official visit of the newly inaugurated Board of Management to the hospital.
He urged the team to embrace research and training to address the challenges in the health sector.
The chairman solicited collaboration between the University of Benin and the UBTH, to enhance the hospital’s productivity and service delivery.
He said: “There cannot be a teaching hospital without a university. I was a member of the Board of the University of Abuja. At that time, there was dichotomy between the university and the teaching hospital.
“Back then, I approached the Vice Chancellor to stressed that he could not be in the university without a hospital, even when there was a faculty of medicine. We were the first board to set up the Gwagwadala Teaching Hospital in Abuja, which of course, is following the UBTH and UNIBEN.”Adewolu recalled the vision of founding fathers as the late Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia, who pioneered the delivering of quality health care in the country.
He lauded Ogbemudia’s contributions to the hospital and stressed the need to sustain his legacies.
According to him, such could only be achieved by pursuing aggressive research and educational training of medical personnel.
Adewolu urged the Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Prof. Osasere Orumwense, to partner the UBTH in the areas of research and training.
He said the university community is a partner in progress with the UBTH.
“To make the Teaching Hospital meaningful, we need your cooperation, and that is why the decree that established the hospital made provision for the university’s representative to be a member of the board,” Adewolu said.
On his part, Orumwense assured the board chairman of the necessary support to the UBTH, adding: “There is no gap between the UBTH and UNIBEN.”
The newly inaugurated board members of the UBTH are: Chairman, Bashorun Adedoja Adewolu, with members as Temitope Fabanwo, Onyemelukwe John Paul, Aliyu Oroji Wammako, UBTH Chief Medical Director, Prof. Darlington Obaseki and Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC, UBTH), Prof. Casmir Omuemu.
Others are the UBTH Director of Administration, Mrs. Philomena Omoregie, and representative of the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. N. Ezeigwe, representative of the University of Benin, Prof. Jacob Ehiorobo and Provost, UNIBEN College of Medicine, Prof. Efosa Oviasu.
Also on the board are representative of the UNIBEN Senate, Prof. John Akerele, Dr. Woghiren Emmanuel, Prof. Innocent Ujah and representative of JOHESU, Hon. Philip Owolabi Salu.
The UBTH Board Chairman also led members to visit the Benin monarch, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II, to solicit his support and royal blessings for the institution.
The board members also visited the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki at the Government House.
The governor told the board that his administration was making arrangement to enable private health care providers offer essential services to patients in government hospitals.
He faulted the demands of the state chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), who have threatened to go on strike.
Obaseki said the government would inform the national body of the NMA about it, adding “It has threatened to shut down the health system in the state, following their unrealistic demands.”
The governor, who berated the leadership of the chapter said: “We believe that the doctors’ demands are unrealistic, having been part of the steps taken so far to improve the conditions of service of medical doctors in the state.”
He lamented that they have threatened to go on strike, despite the government’s explanation that it could not fulfill their 100 per cent demands.
He had promised to spread their demands across four years of his administration, which the NMA rejected.
He promised to make back-up plans with the private healthcare practitioners to take care of patients.
By: Michael Egbejule, Benin City
The Guardian News
