…We’ve touched many lives positively-CMD
By Hassan Zaggi
As the National Hospital, Abuja, celebrates its Silver Jubilee, the former Minister of Water Resources, Pharmacists Hamza Sakwa, has called on the Federal Government, corporate bodies, philanthropists and well-meaning Nigerians to assist the hospital to become number one treatment centre in the country.
He made the call at the unveiling of the Silver Jubilee Logo of the hospital in Abuja, on Monday.
Sakwa commended the federal government for establishing the hospital which has grown to become a reference point in terms of quality medical care not only in Nigeria but in the sub-saharan Africa at large.
He thanked the medical personnel of the hospital for sustaining the legacy of the founding fathers of the hospital and charged them to continue to assist the patients.
Pharm. Sakwa noted that the hospital has transformed over the years to become a place where patients from all parts of the world are sure of getting quality healthcare services, stressing that: “Where the glory was almost lost has been restored. Some years back, there were a lot of hues and cries.
“Now, it’s all praises to the National Hospital. I’m urging the federal government and those that can assist, please assist the hospital to make it the number one treatment center in the country.
“There was an attempt and a resolution in the past, and I hope this will be pursued to make sure that all the necessary equipment and facilities are given to the National Hospital to make it become the best in the country.”
Speaking, the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital, Prof. Muhammad Raji Mahmud, explained that the hospital has touched many lives positively since its establishment 25 years ago.
He noted that the hospital has witness significant growth to become the number one provider of sophisticated healthcare services in Africa.
Prof. Mahmud disclosed that following the many transformations in the hospital, within a little over one year of his appointment, the Internally Generated Revenue has hit over 400 million monthly.
“When we started about a year and a half ago, our IGR was roughly about 180, tops 200 million per month. Now, we are clocking about 400 plus, nearly 500 million per month. That’s just within a span of a couple of months.
“And we are still trying to expand our digitalization process to ensure more accountability, more transparency, and more efficiency. Staff are happier doing their work. But still, that’s not without challenges,” he explained.
On the provision of sophisticated medical care by the hospital, the CMD said: “If you follow our trajectory from inception, you will see National Hospital have been the first in so many things. For instance, when you’re talking about IVF, National Hospital is the first public hospital in Nigeria to start IVF. When you’re talking about cancer care, as at today, National Hospital in the whole of, I would probably say the whole of Africa, but if I were to be conservative, I might just say the whole of the sub-Saharan, sub-region. National Hospital is leading in terms of cancer care.
“When you talk about nuclear medicine, which is an evolving field, still, National Hospital has been at the forefront and we have been training a number of staff in various fields. When you’re talking about neurosurgery, National Hospital is recognized not only in Nigeria, but in various parts of the world.
“Here in the hospital, we were able to describe, to modify a certain surgery that has been accepted worldwide and is published in our foremost journal. When you talk about neonatal care, National Hospital has taken a giant stride in that. We have fabricated something we call CPAP for neonates, which is an innovation that wasn’t there before. A cheap innovation that has been adapted and adopted in the country and on the continent.
“Also, even recently, we have managed sextuplets. Very, very tiny babies that were given birth to right here. They had their delivery here. And these children grew to a certain comfortable age and size before they were let go. All of them left this hospital alive. And they still come to us for their care. So, there are so many instances.”
Challenges
While enumerating current challenges the National Hospital is confronted with, the CMD said: “We have enormous challenges. Most of these challenges have to do with funding. And that’s why I’m very, very happy that our former Board Chairman, who has been a father of this hospital, is also crying out on our behalf that really, we need that support.
“Support can come from the federal government. But we must be careful with that because we know federal government cannot take up all the financial burden of the country in terms of health. It cannot, even if it wants to.
“There are so many competing interests, so many competing needs in the country, from security to food and many others. So, that means that some other factors or influencers need to come in, or stakeholders. Part of this are private stakeholders.
“They can come in as their individuals, as philanthropists, to come and improve some of our facilities and enhance some of our services. Or they can come in the form of Public Private Partnership (PPP) to engage us, and then we are willing, we are open to do PPPs with them in so many other fields. And we also would wish to have international and national collaborators who can come first to interface and see how best to move this healthcare forward.”
