How vested interest tried to sabotage UBTH cancer centre – CMD

The Chief Medical Director, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Prof. Darlington Obaseki, on Thursday, disclosed that vested interest from within try hard to sabotage the installation and commissioning of the oncology centre in the hospital during his tenure. Darlington, who made the remark in Benin while speaking with journalists shortly after media tour of the […]

The Chief Medical Director, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Prof. Darlington Obaseki, on Thursday, disclosed that vested interest from within try hard to sabotage the installation and commissioning of the oncology centre in the hospital during his tenure.

Darlington, who made the remark in Benin while speaking with journalists shortly after media tour of the hospital facility, said the cancer centre will kick off in September 2025.

“I fought very had to make sure that the cancer center came to fruition. This centre was supposed to have been installed and commissioned two years ago but was sabotaged by one of our own that I won’t mentioned.”

“But God has a way of rewarding diligent workers. It was by dint of divine providence that we were able to commission the centre before the end of my tenure,” he said.

• New tax laws will kill airlines – Operators
• Scores killed as military airstikes hit terrorists in Borno

The CMD whose tenure will end on August 17, said it would have been painful if the oncology centre was commissioned after leaving office, having gone through much difficulties to get it done.

“The oncology centre is one of the project very dear to me because of the suffering the patients and relations going through, especially when they are referred to Abuja and others part of the country for treatment, people would not have attempted to stall it from commissioning,” he said.

According to him, mechanisms have put in place to ensure the sustainability of the centre and also buy a second machine, within the next three months.

Continuing, he said the hospital had been degitalised for end-to-end, adding that fibre optic cables had also been laid round the hospital for stable electricity.

“We see 1,500 patients in our clinics daily, and about 300,000 out-patients in a year, while about 500 to 600 patients are on admission every day,” he said.

Prof Darlington, however, dismissed alleged exorbitant healthcare cost in the hospital, saying “UBTH is actally subsidizing its services.

“Our specialist consultation fee for instance is N2,500, whereas, in some hospitals within the State, charge as high as N10,000,” Darlington” he said.