Lack of funding; our deficiency – MD, NOH Jalingo
OKERAFOR ATHANATIUS, JALINGO
The pioneer Medical Director (MD) National Orthopaedic Hospital (NOH) in Jalingo Taraba State capital, Professor Chubado Tahir has stated that lack of funding remains the major deficiency hampering the smooth running of the hospital established two years ago.
Prof Chubado Tahir
Prof. Tahir stated this to newsmen in his office while highlighting the challenges he face as he pilots the affairs of the institution, added that the facility established since 2023 lack adequate funding to function maximally.
According to the Medical Practitioner, the challenges that confronts any organization from smooth operation especially when starting from the scratch are enormous saying, if you are starting a place from the scratch, virtually every thing is a challenge.
He added that the management of the hospital under his watch has surmounted some challenges and also, provided some basic equipments to run the hospital.
A male patient at the hospital
Emphasizing that lack of adequate funding is the major challenge, the MD said the Laboratory and Radiology departments need to be equipped, including provision of staff offices, among others.
He added that presently, NOH in the State has a 30 bed capacity Ward which he noted was supposed to be greater if adequate fund was made available.
“National Orthopaedic Hospital is being managed at a temporary site here within the premises of the State Specialist Hospital, donated by the state government”,
On the staff strength of the hospital the MD disclosed that after being appointed as the acting Medical Director, there was insufficient number of workers to meet the demands of the hospital.
He added that the management had to get people as secondments from sister institutions who served as staff of the hospital.
“We got secondments from the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital in Bornu State, and that of Adamawa and Gombe states”,
“All the MDs and CMDs were kind enough to allow some of their staff to come and assist us in starting the place”,
“There were no take off grants but we were lucky to have the 2023 budget”,
“At the beginning, I didn’t have an office, I will just come and move round, leaving the little place for the few staff especially those at the Accounts section”, he said.
“The management of the Taraba State National Orthopedic Hospital (NOH), Jalingo were able to get to where we are today through the collaboration of the few number of staff we have.
“We swung into action by restructuring some of of the dilapidated structures, merge some rooms to create an emergency space because we needed larger apartments in the hospital”
“We also had to do some extensions, we created a Doctor’s room because, a Doctor on call will need a place to sleep because of emergency cases”,
“These achievements of ours greatly improved our services and significantly enhanced our operations for healthcare delivery services of the hospital”, he added.
Cases handled by the Hospital as stated by the MD were; Diseases of the bones, joints, spine and fractures.
“In addition to that, we also manage cases of plastic and caustic surgery, complications of burns, chronic wounds and deformities”,
“The Permanent site has been provided but we need to secure the land with the help of perimeter fencing and quickly start constructions there”, he stated.
Disclosing that North East Development Commission (NEDC) has indicated its intentions to assist, the Hospital urgently needs interventions from donor agencies and philanthropists so that when completed will be able to compete favourably with other Orthopaedic hospitals across the world.
