Patient and staff safety not a luxury says Dr Joseph Ugboaja
The Chairman Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) Nnewi, Anambra state Dr Joseph Ugboaja on Monday says the safety of patients and staffers of the hospital is of paramount importance to the management of the institution.
Dr Ugboaja stated this during the opening ceremony of the five days NAUTH Covid-19 training step down for medical laboratory scientists of the hospital.
He noted that the elaborate five days program is part of the efforts of the management to enhance the performance and safety of the medical laboratory scientists in the hospital.
Dr Ugboaja stated that the medical laboratory scientists are strategically important to the health sector as most of the cases presented in the hospital must necessarily pass through the medical laboratory scientists who are expected to carry out tests on the patient’s specimen.
“The truth about the workings of any hospital is that the safety of all the staffers are interdependent. If anything goes wrong in any department, it can affect other staffs in other departments. It is just like a chain, the strength of any chain is determined by it’s weak point.” He explained.
Dr Ugboaja, an obstetrician and gynaecologist said further that the management is doing everything possible to ensure that Personal Protective Equipments (PPR) are made available to staffers of NAUTH.
The CMAC NAUTH however noted that the personal protective equipments are very expensive.
“The cost of each PPE ranges between N7000 and N15000, interestingly, a patient can consume more than ten of this in day. The situation on ground in the country today has made it imperative for public spirited individuals and corporate institutions to help the hospitals out. The responsibility of providing quality Medicare to the people should not be left to government alone.” He explained.
Dr Ugboaja however appreciated the individuals who have been supporting NAUTH even as he solicited for more.
Dr Dorothy Ezeagwuna, Dr Ifeoma Nwokolo, Dr Onwurah Winifred and other principal of MLS department presented papers and practical trainings on patient and staff safety
