BUILDING A WORLD CLASS MOTHER & CHILD CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE - The latest addition to Prof. Ugboaja's Giant strides at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) Permanent Site.

By Okeh, Onyekachi.

The conversation about this structure started off as a joke if you ask me some months ago but little did I know that the workaholic of a Chief Medical Director who is popularly known as Ochinanwata means everything he ever says about this hospital's development, with his life even if it delays to manifest. Indeed watching the Engineers doing the laying out for this magnificent edifice that is about to be erected very soon overjoyed my heart, indeed it is a new dawn for Mother And Child Care services in NAUTH.

World over, the health of Mother and Child takes the front burner of policies and government interventions as no society can thrive effectively without taking care of the health of the Mother and Child effectively.

Women go through a lot in the process of childbirth, nourishing and nurturing of their young ones, maybe this here remains one major reason why they are celebrated in and out of season, they birth nations.

Prof. Ugboaja's vision of uplifting the health status of the people of Anambra and beyond obviously cannot be achieved with the capacity of the maternity ward and nursery functional at the old site despite those facilities having been upgraded in functionality, comfort and aesthetics by this Administration led by Ochinanwata lately last year as an interim measure while he chased fiercely the "big fish" which is this particular project that has been secured.

The CMD being an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist of repute understands the need to make the process of pregnancy and delivery (Child birth) a sweet/interesting experience for the women, no doubt that he has committed himself to building a world class Mother & Child center at the NAUTH Permanent site.

According to the hardworking CMD, "Pregnancy and delivery should not be a harrowing experience for our women. Instead, it should be pleasant, smooth and memorable experience for the women. This is why I had to quickly upgrade and beautify our labour suites at the old NAUTH site as soon as I took over as the CMD.

However, to fully actualize our dreams of building a world class hospital, we need to build and equip a standard maternity center to carter for the needs of our women and the children."

According to the young administrator, When completed, the One hundred and twenty (120) bedded facility will house the following units;

- Antenatal Wards,
- Post natal Wards,
- Ten (10) standard air-conditioned delivery suites,
- There will be two (2) Standard operating theaters,
- Special Care Baby Unit,
- Fully furnished private rooms for the Mothers who can afford them.

Like I would always say, with Joseph Ugboaja the barest minimum of the acceptable standard is always excellence.

It will be noted that the ultramodern "MCC Building" is the latest addition to a host of other buildings at various levels of completion at the NAUTH Permanent Site which include;

- Accident and Emergency Complex( Medical & Surgical),
- Renal building complex,
- GOPD,
- Administeration Block,
- Surgical ward complex.

Others are;

- Medical ward complex,
- Radiology/Laboratory building,
- Intensive Care Unit,
- Amenity ward.
- Cancer Treatment Center.

At the rate, the new management is going, it will be a matter of time before NAUTH becomes an International Center of Medical tourism and excellence.

Finally when next you see Ochinanwata NAUTH, tell him that indeed God sees his heart and would use him most mightily for humanity in ways he never believed would be possible. Cheers to a Result Oriented Leadership!!

That's commendable