By: Vitalis Ugoh, Calabar
Cross River Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Egbe Ayuk has advised Management of hospitals across the state to key into Public-Private Partnership strategies to generate funds to complement government’s efforts in running their medical centers.
It has become obvious that medical centers can no longer rely solely on government funding to achieve success in such health facilities.
Ayuk gave the charge while speaking to the Management team of General Hospital, Ugep during an inspection visit.
He said “the time was indeed rife for government-owned health facilities to go into private collaborations that would bring investments into system through provision of medical equipment and other infrastructure while putting in place an effective cost recovery mechanism for the investors”.
The Commissioner also inferred that rather than revolve around IGR remittances, percentages and emoluments from government, hospital managements should begin to plough in their internally generated earnings to solve overarching issues of the facilities, while waiting for government intervention.
He was conducted round the hospital by the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Patrick Ubi and his Management team, decried the level of decay at the facility, and assured them of the Governor Bassey Otu-led administration’s determination to revamp the facility, as epicentre of health service delivery in the central part of the State.
According to him, the facility was too strategically located to be left to wallow in neglect, hence government’s desire to revamp it for optimal medical service delivery to the people.
Speaking further, Ayuk frowned at the attendant loopholes orchestrated by personnel’s sharp practices, warning them to desist forthwith, as the Health Ministry would keep its watchful eye on the facility.
He directed the Management team to come up with a unit-by-unit list of things needed to upgrade health care services in the hospital and assured of the Governor’s prompt response.
Earlier, the Chief Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr. Patrick Ubi, on behalf of the Management Committee chaired by the Obol Lopon of Ugep and Paramount Ruler of Yakurr, His Majesty, Obol Ofem Ubana Eteng, welcomed the Commissioner and extended hearty congratulations on his appointment to lead the health sector.
He said the health facility which was built in 1979 as a cottage hospital, was taken over by Cross River State Government 12 years later and was upgraded to a General Hospital.
The CMD pointed out that the 145 bed space hospital, also houses an administrative block, accident and emergency, reception, record and other paramedic departments, such as laboratory, pharmacy, x-ray, theatre, Anti-retroviral therapy clinic, health insurance unit, among others.
The leader of the facility mentioned inadequate personnel, discrepancies from the point of service (POS) agent, improper remittances by the morgue operators, power supply, infrastructure decay, nonfunctional operations vehicles, absence of effective ultrasound and x-ray machines, nonfunctional blood bank, shortage of essential drugs, poor relationship between the hospital and morgue operators, as well as staff’s negative attitude to work, as some of the challenges bedeviling the hospital, and sought for prompt government intervention to return to hospital to its pride of place as veritable centre for efficient healthcare service delivery.
