‘We want to make FMC Umuahia centre of excellence’

Since the board’s inauguration, how far have you pursued the transformation agenda as it relates to the health sector?I believe the transformation agenda of President Jonathan in the health sector is being executed well in the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia. Since our inauguration, we focused on staff welfare. We looked at it critically and came […]

Since the board’s inauguration, how far have you pursued the transformation agenda as it relates to the health sector?
I believe the transformation agenda of President Jonathan in the health sector is being executed well in the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia. Since our inauguration, we focused on staff welfare. We looked at it critically and came up with policies that will make them happy so we achieve the desired result.
We ensured that all the promotions, allowances and demands were met. We thought the staff welfare should be addressed adequately so that strikes that could disrupt effort could be avoided. We made it clear from the beginning that we will not tolerate strike and we believe that when there is industrial harmony that the desired progress can be achieved.
When the place is peaceful, we get better results. We have a number of on-going projects aimed at decongesting the crowded wards.
Unfortunately, the funds are not coming; we hope the Federal Government will provide the necessary funds so that the contractors can continue with work.
 When Health Minister, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu paid an unscheduled visit to the Medical Centre in August last year , did you draw his attention to these constraints you just mentioned and if so what has he done to ameliorate these problems?
Even though I was not here when the Minister of Health came, any minister that comes here will commend the board, staff and management for a job well done. Definitely, any minister that comes to this hospital will commend the Chief Medical Director for a job well done. There is no doubt that money is our major constraint and the IGR (internally generated revenue) is not enough even though we increased it by 20-25 percent.
I believe we will still improve on the IGR to improve our finances. Some of these constraints have already been forwarded to the minister to look at and then we hope to get an appropriate action.
How far have you gone in your plans to upgrade FMC to a teaching hospital?
What we did initially was to go into business partnership with one private university, Gregory University. We discovered that if we go on with such partnership venture, the desired objective will not be realized.
So the other option was to see if we could affiliate with Michael Okpara University, Umudike. Negotiation on this matter has reached advance stage. The university authorities are trying to change the name of Michael Okpara University so that it does not look like a specialized University rather an “open’  university  like Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Bayero University Kano , University of Maiduguri so that for the purpose of affiliation with FMC the medical school can be realized easily.
This formal change of Michael Okpara University’s name to accommodate many academic disciplines is being pursued at the National Assembly. I was told by the management that the bill has passed the first reading at the National Assembly. It is the university board that is pursuing it.
Maybe very soon it will pass through the second and final reading at the National Assembly and then to the president for his assent.  When these processes are completed, then FMC, Umuahia will by the grace of God become a teaching hospital.
 You said poor funding is your greatest challenge and hope to increase the internally generated revenue. So how do you intend to complete these projects in the hospital?
You know these projects are capital intensive projects which are to be funded by the Federal Government and not by the IGR office of Federal Medical Centre. So we are still putting pressure on the Federal Government to release the funds so that this capital projects can go on.
In our previous media interaction, you talked about making FMC, Umuahia the  centre of excellence to discourage people from going abroad for medical treatment. Are the facilities there to realize this lofty objective?
I am highly impressed with the things we have on ground. With the new structure that has been completed which hopefully will be commissioned very soon by the First Lady because this is her mother’s state. We want to see if she can come and commission the projects. We are doing our best by sending some consultants abroad for training in different fields. Instead of Nigerians going abroad for heart, brain, surgeries and other forms of medical treatment, such persons  can come to FMC, Umuahia where such medical treatment can be done at a lesser cost thereby saving our hard currency.
 As I am talking to you now, we have three doctors in India who are studying to acquire more knowledge so that such knowledge can useful at FMC Umuahia. Instead of sending patients to go to India for treatment, our doctors at FMC having acquired such training in India and other medical institutions abroad can handle such cases. We are working very hard towards making FMC, Umuahia a centre of excellence.
That brings me to the much speculated collaboration with the Madras Medical Mission, India. How far has the board gone to consolidate this partnership with Madras Medical Mission?
Our partnership with Madras Medical Mission is on course. We are yet to sign the MOU which I believe very soon a team comprising  some members of the board and management will go to the Madras Medical Mission, India to sign the MOU. However, before then, we still need to send our doctors, nurses and other medical personnel for special training.
 You talked of improving staff welfare to discourage health workers from going on strikes. Are you impressed with the staff welfare?
Yes, I believe so because when we came, a lot of issues like their promotion, increment, allowance, conversion, right placement were not done. I understand, they have been there for years. The board came in immediately and started handling these identified problems that have to do with their promotion, increment, allowance, conversion, right placement, among other welfare problems.
We have paid their outstanding allowances and completed outstanding promotion and conversion exercises and they are very happy.  I am sure if you interview the staff, they will tell you they are very happy with the way the board handled the problems.
 Sir apart from funding, what are other constraints facing FMC, Umuahia?
 Apart from funding, another major problem is in the area of infrastructure. The road leading to the hospital is not very good. We are appealing to the state government-and rich individuals to come to our rescue and contribute towards the rehabilitation of these roads. The projects at FMC are monumental and as such we need to have a conducive environment for patients to enjoy them. The road network should be improved upon. It is not everything that we should take to the Federal Government. We are appealing to the states within the catchment area and individuals to assist us in fixing these bad roads in the hospital.
Rich people in and outside the state should come and help us to make these roads motorable because FMC is the oldest medical centre in Nigeria and as such deserves the best. It was Queen Elizabeth’ Hospital before, it was changed to Ramat Specialist Hospital and finally changed to Federal Medical Centre.