Resident
doctors working at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo State,
have decried the state of facilities such as operating theatres,
radiotherapy machine, laboratory equipment and lecture rooms in the
hospital.
They accused the authorities of the hospital of mismanaging facilities in the institution.
According
to the President of the UBTH ARD, Dr. Omorogbe Owen, the conditions in
which the physicians operate on patients is terrible.
He said,
“The theatres are in the worst conditions as surgeries are carried out
by doctors who are sweating on patients. Insects and reptiles come in
freely into the theatres and wards because of the dilapidated state of
facilities.
“Consumables
and other tools for work are not sufficient or non-existent, forcing
patients to buy materials for wound dressing across the road. The
laboratories, pharmacy and x-rays units are not functioning optimally.
“The
discrepancy has now made it a norm for patients to go outside the
hospital to do diagnostic investigations and also buy drugs. Despite the
Federal Government’s huge investment in procuring CT scan and
radiotherapy machine for the hospital, the equipment is constantly
malfunctioning.”
Owen, who
made this known in a statement, also alleged that some departments had
lost their accreditation due to lack of facilities and manpower.
The
doctors also raised the alarm over what it described as “extortion of
patients”, adding that the high cost of treatment at the hospital had
forced many patients to seek treatment elsewhere.
The ARD
boss added that patients were forced to pay N3, 900 general wards’ fees
daily after paying an initial admission deposit of N20, 000.
He stated,
“For instance, the bed fee for specialist ward is N15,000 daily after
an admission deposit of N50, 000, compared to what is obtainable
elsewhere such as the Irrua Specialist Hospital, Edo State and the
University College, Ibadan, Oyo State, were bed fee is N1,500 and N1,000
per day respectively. The same is applicable at the Obafemi Awolowo
University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Osun State where bed fee is
N1,000 daily.”
Owen also accused the management of being insensitive to present economic realities of its patients.
He added,
“Many patients have been forced to seek alternative care elsewhere and
this is grossly affecting the training of medical students and doctors.
Patients, especially those in and around Edo State, are now forced to
travel to other parts of the country for medical care where services are
affordable.”
Decrying
the shortage of medical workers, he recalled that the hospital had not
in the last four years employed new members of staff despite the mass
exit of professionals from the hospital.
He added that the exit of workers had resulted in the loss of some departments in the hospital.
Owen said,
“This obviously affects the quality of service being rendered to
patients. It is shocking to reveal that the last time resident doctors
were employed in UBTH was in 2011 and in the intervening four- year
period, over 400 resident doctors have exited without any replacement.”
“The
hospital that was manned by over 150 house officers is currently covered
by 60 house officers while a ward of over 50 patients is being run by
three nurses. One can then imagine the kind of care patients get from
this shortage of staff.
“Consumables
and other tools for work are not sufficient or non-existent forcing
patients to procuring materials for wound dressing across the road. The
laboratories, pharmacy and x-rays units are usually down due to lack of
power supply.
“The
discrepancy has now made it a norm for patients to go outside the
hospital to get investigations and drugs. Despite the Federal
Government’s huge investment in CT scan and radiotherapy machine for the
hospital, the equipment is constantly malfunctioning.”
The Chief
Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Michael Ibadin, could not be
reached by one of our correspondents, as calls to his telephone line did
not go through.
When
contacted on Sunday, the Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Kehinde Ibitoye,
declined comments on the matter, adding that she was not aware of the
statement by the resident doctors.
Ibitoye
said, “I have not seen the press release. Until I see it, I will not
react. You are a journalist; can you react to what you have not seen?
“I am not even aware. It has not come to my management. When it does, we will say our own.”
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