Prof Etete Peters
Diana Okon-Effiong, Uyo
Well meaning individuals, corporate organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations have been enjoined to assist in the development of infrastructure in the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH)l.
The call was made by its Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof. Etete Peters, in an interview in Uyo. He said that facilities in the tertiary health institution had been overstretched due to high patronage of its healthcare services. Peters restated that since the Federal Government alone could not provide infrastructure in all tertiary health centres in Nigeria there was need for partnership with the private sector for improved services.
The CMD also appealed to wealthy people of Akwa Ibom to contribute to the development of what he called the only tertiary health institution in the state.
He said that although a lot of improvement occurred in the UUTH in the last few years, more still needed to be done. He also said that funds accruing to the hospital from the federal government coffers had been dwindling due to the current economic challenges.
Peters said: “In the last two years we have not had much capital allocation. In fact, when the Minister visited this place he promised to help us complete at least two buildings.The state government also promised to help us to complete the General Out Patients building because they have all seen that funding from the federal government has reduced considerably.
“I am appealing to individuals, organisations, NGOs and corporate bodies to come to our assistance. The Federal Government alone cannot finance healthcare delivery across the country. Even if somebody gives us a wheel chair it will go a long way. In the western world people go to endow a building, a chair donate ambulance, vehicles to the uplift of their hospital.”
The CMD said that the UUTH was highly rated, adding that it has consistently remain in the first 10 in postgraduate examinations in the last three years. He said that the UUTH now has more than 25 departments with full accreditation for undergraduates and postgraduates training under his watch
He, however, said that one of the challenges facing the health institution was inadequate office complex for consulting and general out patients.
“All the challenges we are facing today is because we have cramped into this one building, which also serve as consulting rooms and administration block.If we had completed this building that has 30 consulting rooms, there is no way we will not reduce patients waiting time to 10 or 15 minutes per patient.
“We will deploy 30 Doctors to consult at the same time unlike now that we have only 10 consulting rooms.” the CMD said.
admin
