By JAMILA ABBA, Jalingo
The National Orthopaedic Hospital Jalingo, Taraba State, says it has Performed more than 400 surgeries within three years of its establishment,and also attended to over 5,000 patients.
The Medical Director of the hospital, who is also a plastic surgeon, Prof. Chubado Tahir, disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Jalingo, the state capital.
Prof. Tahir said a lot has been achieved despite challenges facing the hospital, particularly lack of infrastructure, as its permanent site is yet to be developed.
He said the hospital has carried out total joint replacements for many patients among other surgical services, adding that,the Radiology is one of their major challenges at the hospital presently, where he expressed optimism that it will soon be addressed.
According to him, 16 nurses have been sponsored for one-year training on various specialised courses to enhance healthcare delivery, adding that, the hospital has engaged visiting consultants from Kano, Maiduguri and Enugu to improve service delivery.
Prof. Tahir explained that the hospital has one of the best theatre rooms and other surgical equipment, adding that more laboratory equipment was recently purchased.
He described the establishment of the hospital in the North-East, with Taraba as host state, as a major development, noting that before its establishment, patients had to travel to Kano or Enugu for orthopaedic treatment.
The Medical Director disclosed that the hospital has received two ambulances as donation from the Federal and State Governments within three months, a gesture he described as encouraging.
He commended the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, for transforming the health sector through the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Prof. Tahir also appreciated the Taraba State Government under Governor Agbu Kefas’s administration for its continuous support to the hospital.
“Even this temporary site the state government gave us inside the Specialist Hospital is not a small gesture. They also allocated land for our permanent site. Recently, the Governor also gave us an ambulance. We have nothing to say but thank you, thank you and thank you. But like Oliver Twist, we will keep appealing,” he said.
He further appreciated the North East Development Commission, NEDC, for its support to the hospital despite numerous demands on the Commission, and urged it not to relent in supporting the hospital for the development of the region.
Prof. Tahir also appealed to wealthy individuals in the region to support the hospital to become one of the best orthopaedic hospitals in Nigeria, stressing that government alone cannot do it.
