In a press conference held on Monday in Ibadan to mark the 65th anniversary of the health institution, the Chief Medical Director of University College Hospital Prof. Abiodun Otegbayo brought to the fore challenges bedeviling the hospital.
The CMD revealed a rapid decline in the staff strength of the institution stating that the decline is a result of ongoing employee resignations.
Describing the situation as a challenge, Professor Otegbayo mentioned that the ongoing departure of hospital staff members, particularly clinical staff, is not unrelated to the recent pattern of Nigerians seeking out greener pastures abroad.
” 611 clinical staff members left the hospital between 2020 and October 2022. It has been challenging to find their replacements due to administrative snags.” He added.
Moreover, Otegbayo noted that the hospital management is always greeted with resignation letters every week.
“every week receive nothing less than fifteen resignation letters of 15 health workers at the institution who are mostly clinicians, that is, Nurses, Doctors, and Pharmacies among others”.
Infrastructure decay is another significant issue facing the hospital, however, he said a committee has been established by the federal government through the ministry of health to look at employee retention.
He explained that the Committee of Chief Medical Directors of Teaching Hospitals had sent memos to the Committee established to address the shortage of professionals in the tertiary health sector asking for contributions.
According to Otegbayo, UCH has dedicated itself to offering top-notch healthcare in Nigeria and the West African Sub-region and will continue to advance as infrastructure and facilities, as well as the development of human resources are handled.
He thanked the personnel of the institutions for their effort to improve the institution by providing the finest care possible and treating the patients with dignity.
To enhance clinical services, the CMD announced that the institution has purchased two sets of Auto Clave, 64-Slice CT machines as well as two mammography machines.
“Just as the physical infrastructure is being developed, so also is the administration bringing in state-of-the-art equipment to enhance service delivery.
“We have not rested on our oars as we keep acquiring new equipment. It is our style to keep on acquiring equipment that positions the Hospital at the forefront of demands for best clinical practices.”
Otegbayo affirmed that the institution yearly attended to documented 14,000 out-patients and 10,000 in-patients and it is committed to a continuous quality service delivery and leverage on technology.
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