Guardian

THE Chief Medical Director of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Prof Abdulwaheed Olatinwo has put a stop to what he called “medical tourism abroad” by some privileged Nigerians, by turning UITH into a model for other teaching hospitals in the country.

Olatinwo, a Professor of Gyneacology who took over the leadership mantle of the hospital from Prof Suleiman Kuranga, a surgeon, some three years ago, said it  is  shameful that a lot of  privileged Nigerians troop out of the country in search of quality health for themselves and their family members.

He believes that with the efforts of the Federal Government on supply of medical equipment to its hospitals, such hospitals by now should be capable of handling most of the medical challenges being taken abroad for treatment.

Besides, he challenged his colleagues all over the federation to restore the lost glories of  teaching hospitals in the country which he called the last referral spot for any Nigerian patient.

Olatinwo spoke in Ilorin during the recent presentation of 2013 Kwame Nkrumah Leadership Award to him by the All African Students Union (AASU) and induction into AASU Hall of Fame. According to the leader of the union, Yinka Dallas, the AASU secretariat initiated the award 14 years ago to honour distinguished Africans in their fields of endeavours.

Past recipients of the award include, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former South African President, Thabo Mbeki, Koffi Annan, President Goodluck  Jonathan, Ambassador Buba Marwa, Aare Afe Babalola and Prince Bola Ajibola.

Dallas said: “It is imperative for us to state here today that our choice of Prof Olatinwo for this award was never politically motivated but a testimony of the dedication of a true African son having the dream of the development of our continent. He has persistently exhibited the urge for an improved standard of health care and a better Nigeria.

“We want to hereby state that our decision to confer this honur on him is not just the celebration of achievements of an outstanding performer, but also should be considered as a clarion call on the recipient not to relent in his effort by giving more of his attention and support to health in Nigeria and Africa at large. This award should serve as a wake-up call on others to realize that there is a critical observation of their effort and every deed, either good or bad.”

Thanking the union for noticing his modest contributions to health growth “in my little corner here in Ilorin,” Olatinwo unfolded some of the reformative policies he implemented since he assumed office under a one point agenda of ‘Total Care for Quality Health Care: Patients’ Satisfaction.’

According to him, while savouring the joy of having quality and capable workers to work with, he facilitated complete movement of all the sectors of the hospital from the temporary site to its Ilorin-Jebba Road permanent site. He said the movement has greatly enhanced proper planning and prudent management of the scarce resources of the hospital.

Already, under his leadership, he has facilitated the movement of College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin to the UITH permanent site, just as he established Dental, Stroke, Palliative Care and Assisted Reproductive Technology units.

Besides, under his administration, he has built Cardiothoracic, Malaria Research, Infection Control and Behavioural Sciences centres. He recently facilitated the building and donation of a Trauma Centre by an Ilorin based legal icon, Malam Yusuf Ola-Olu Ali (SAN). Perhaps one area in which the management under Olatinwo has excelled is the hosting of ORBIS DC Flying Hospital with free medical and surgical treatment to more than 5,000 Nigerians.

For the CMD, without the immense contributions of all his predecessors, he would not have accomplished the modest achievement under his administration, just as he extolled the virtues of Nkrumah after who the award is named, especially his unrelenting war against imperialism in Africa.

He stated: “Nkrumah as we all know, fought to rid Africa completely and forever of imperialism and its hand-maidens: colonialism and neo-colonialism. He regarded himself first and foremost as an African and then only as a Ghanaian. He was in his lifetime always talking of the need for all Africans to work together faithfully for the achievement of African freedom and unity: Total liberation of our continent and its political and economic unification.”

Olatinwo reminisced on when Nkrumah was made the Chancellor of University of Ghana in 1962 and his famous statement on the need for the university to be responsive to the sense of urgency that existed in a developing nation; to use its resources imaginatively and effectively to contribute to the economy of the social organization; to interpret their studies to the benefits of the people and to learn from their problem. For the CMD, the statement is still relevant today as it was in the past.

Speaking more on his transformational agenda for the UITH, he said: “My vision to turn UITH into a continuously improved product offering to clients and customers are borne out of my passion as well as the commitment to meet and even surpass the stated objectives using cutting edge technology and strategies patterned after global best practices in management.

“When I took over the headship of this hospital three years ago, my immediate focus was to restore hope and improve morale of all categories of staff, create a service oriented system towards full capacity attainment through equity, probity, fear of God and love to fellow human beings. Since then, my watch words have been discipline, sacrifice and integrity with a bid to enhance core values and improve public perception of our hospital.

“By the end of my second year in office, my approach moved towards cultural transformation of the hospital. We created open forum with stakeholders where we talk together, understand ourselves better to the extent that every staff has begun to take ownership of the hospital.”

Already, the UITH has commenced processes where patients with certain identified ailments could be treated at home rather than making them in-patients of the hospital under a new scheme introduced by Olatinwo.

He said the development remains the most modern way of treatment in all reputable hospitals worldwide, noting that UITH could not afford to lag behind in innovation drive.

UITH was listed among the five star hospitals in Nigeria during Obasanjo’s tenure. It was one of the hospitals so listed that enjoyed the facilities under the VAMED arrangement.

“There is no need keeping patients in the hospital whereas such patients could be treated at home and our team just doing a follow up on them where necessary. This is what is in vogue now and we can’t afford to lag behind.

“Besides, our focus is to begin to build a hospital for the future. I envision that more health care services will be provided outside the hospital setting. Technology will become more important as hospitals become smaller and reserved for the most acutely-ill patients.”

Olatinwo believes that staffers of the hospital should firstly be trained to start seeing patients and their relatives as their own relations. He added that the new system, apart from alleviating the sufferings of the patients and their relatives, would reduce the cost of long term treatment in the hospital.

He opined that there would no longer be a hiding place for truants as all the medical workers of the hospital would be more engaged and more committed to the care of the patients.