President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his administration’s commitment to sustaining development in the ravaged Northeast region and other parts of the country to engender economic growth, peace and progress.
The President made the commitment at a virtual inauguration of five landmark capital projects executed at University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital UMTH.
Established in 1983, The University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital which is the largest Teaching hospital in the North East is currently serving a population of about 33 million people in the region and neighbouring countries.
The Boko Haram insurgency and it’s mass displacement of people led to over-stretching of the facility and increase in outpatient to about sixty five thousand in 2017.
This necessitated the Hospital Management to undertake massive infrastructural upgrade and expansion to meet the population demand.
At a virtual inauguration, President Muhammadu Buhari noted that the value of the projects at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital UMTH cannot be underestimated especially in the era of global Covid-19 pandemic.
The President said the completion of the capital projects reflects the Federal Government commitment to improve healthcare services in the country.
On the request made by the Board and Management of UMTH, President Buhari directed Head of Service of the Federation and the Budget Office to consider their demands.
The President commended the collaborative programmes of the teaching hospital with Borno state government, indigenous and international non governmental organisations like the ICRC towards improving health care needs of the people.
Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire described UMTH as among best performing hospitals in handling covid-19 cases, adding that new infrastructure will reposition the hospital in delivery of emergency, medical and surgical care.
Borno state Governor Babagana Zulum said the state government will continue to partner the Teaching Hospital in providing health care services to millions of displaced and other vulnerable people.
Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr Ahmed Ahidjo explained that when all the ongoing projects are completed, the bed capacity will increase from 630 to 1200 beds thereby making it the largest hospital in the country.
According to Dr Ahidjo some of the ongoing projects like the the stroke center, Child Institute, Kidney Centre extension and Burns Center when completed will reduce medical tourism and the burden of diseases in the region.
Correspondent Dauda Iliya reports that among the projects are 150-bed Trauma Centre, a new General Outpatient Department, Physical Rehabilitation Centre and a 1000-capacity Multipurpose Auditorium and Conference Centre constructed and furnished by Borno state government.
Dauda Iliya