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.
Source- punch online