From Isaac Ojo, Nnewi
The Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra state, yesterday, held COVID-19 training step down for medical laboratory scientists in the institution.
The Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) of the hospital, Dr Joseph Ugboaja, while declaring the training open, said that the safety of patients and staffers of the hospital is of paramount importance to the management of the institution.
He noted that the five days program was part of the efforts of the management to enhance the performance and safety of the medical laboratory scientists in the hospital.
Dr Ugboaja stated that the medical laboratory scientists are strategically important to the health sector as most of the cases presented in the hospital must necessarily pass through the medical laboratory scientists who are expected to carry out tests on the patient’s specimen.
“The truth about the workings of any hospital is that the safety of all the staffers are interdependent. If anything goes wrong in any department, it can affect the staff of other departments. It is just like a chain, the strength of any chain is determined by its weak point,” he explained.
Dr Ugboaja, further noted that the management of NAUTH is doing everything possible to ensure that Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) are adequately available to staffers of the hospital.
The CMAC NAUTH however, noted that the PPEs are very expensive.
“The cost of each PPE ranges between N7000 and N15000, interestingly, a patient can consume more than ten of this in day. The situation on ground in the country today has made it imperative for public spirited individuals and corporate institutions to help the hospitals out. The responsibility of providing quality medicare to the people should not be left to government alone,” he explained.
Dr Ugboaja however applauded individuals who have been supporting NAUTH even as he solicited for more.
Dr Dorothy Ezeagwuna, Dr Ifeoma Nwokolo, Dr Onwurah Winifred and other principal of medical laboratory science department presented papers and practical trainings on patient and staff safety.
