The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Federal University of Technology, Futa Teaching Hospital (FTH), Prof. Olusegun Ojo, has opened the hospital to contract staff and visiting doctors to tackle the shortage of medical personnel in the country.
Speaking during a press conference to mark the first anniversary of the Teaching Hospital, Prof. Ojo said the emigration of doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel has affected virtually all hospitals in the country, including FutaTH.
Prof. Ojo said the Teaching Hospital is dealing with the shortage of medical personnel through the development of the hospital’s installed capacity to accommodate available staff.
His words: “What we are doing is to develop installed capacity to accommodate available staff. Previously, the hospital could not take more than half of the available workforce, but now we are expanding services and opening opportunities for visiting staff, part-time staff, and contract staff. We are very optimistic that the medical staff capacity of the hospital will increase from now on.”
The CMD said the environment where the hospital is situated has been in existence for the past 70 years. However, he said the structures are being reworked to accommodate more staff and create more space for patients patronising the facility.
According to him, the previously narrow environment was due to ongoing construction, which is now over 90 percent completed. He said the Ondo State government has finalised the arrangement for the handing over of that building to the Futa Teaching Hospital.
Speaking on the high cost of medical attention in the country, Prof. Ojo said that the hospital is working on setting up a unit that would source funds to subsidise the medical bills of patients who need financial assistance for their treatments. He said the unit would work with nongovernmental organisations that provide funds for the medical treatment of highly expensive, life-threatening ailments.
His words: “Healthcare financing is a major problem worldwide. It is not only Nigeria that faces difficulty recovering medical costs. What we have in Nigeria is that we do not yet have a well-developed medical insurance system.
“However, we have an insurance department here doing its best, and we also have the State Contributory Health Commission supporting a lot of indigent persons. Beyond that, our administration is looking forward to establishing a fund to support people who are really in need, especially those requiring cancer treatment or other expensive care.
“There are also sources of funding from NGOs, which we are planning to attract so that patients can benefit from subsidised medical care. We intend to have a fund managed through our Medical Social Workers Department to support truly indigent people.”
The CMD said the former Specialist Hospital, and later UNIMEDTH, has transformed into Futa Teaching Hospital, while preparation for the future headquarters is ongoing. He said the process of transitioning from a general hospital organogram and modus operandi into a structured federal tertiary academic medical centre was ongoing as well.
Prof. Ojo said the hospital is promoting attitudinal reorientation, improved work ethics, professionalism, patient-centred accountability, and excellence. He said the hospital is working towards acquiring modern medical equipment, including echocardiography machines, endoscopy systems, and digital patient monitoring equipment.
He added that these would position the hospital to meet both national and international standards in healthcare delivery.
