Ugboaja: Expanding Frontiers of NAUTH’s Healthcare Services

David-Chyddy Eleke in this report posits that the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital under the current Chief Medical Director, Prof Joseph Ugboaja, is expanding the institution’s services across borders.

Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State is one of the two tertiary healthcare institutions in Anambra State, with the second being the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku, Awka. Being a federal institution, NAUTH has lived up to its responsibility for years now providing healthcare services both to Anambra people, Nigeria and beyond, most of who get referrals to the facility for quality healthcare services.

The institution has also become a prized training ground for healthcare professionals, moulding young minds who want to serve in the healthcare sector into top notch professionals, fit to serve anywhere in the world.

But quite recently, the institution seems to have changed gear ensuring perfection in healthcare service delivery and trainings.

The reason for this is not far fetched, especially since the coming on board of Prof. Joseph Ugboaja as the Chief Medical Director of the institution in 2021. His ascension to office has led the institution through several successes, especially the movement of the institution from a temporary site from where it operated for several years, to a lush and expansive permanent site which houses several state of the art structures and technological equipment that aid the delivery of healthcare services.

During a ceremony in July, 2024 to celebrate the movement of the institution to its permanent site, the Minister of Health, Prof Ali Pate could not hide his amazement at the audacious nature of the project.

Ugboaja who stood during the ceremony like a proud inventor showing off his invention said: “The NAUTH Permanent Site project which is a medical megacity, is the result of three years of audacious but meticulous planning, construction, and evaluation.

“It’s a 2,000-bed capacity complex built on 100 hectares of land featuring state-of-the-art facilities, including a 240-bed Trauma and Emergency Complex, a 200-bed Pediatrics Emergency Complex, a 200-bed Medical Ward Complex, a 200-bed Surgical Ward Complex, a 120-bed Mother and Childcare Building, a Radiology Building, a General Outpatient Department Complex, as well as many specialist clinics. The presence of two oxygen production plants with an aggregate capacity of 200 cylinders a day further ensures not only self-sufficiency in medical oxygen but also a steady supply to the surrounding facilities. Indeed, the NAUTH Medical Megacity Project is poised to transform healthcare delivery not just in Nigeria but in the entire West Africa sub-region.

“These facilities are more than just buildings; they are vital healthcare infrastructures. The Trauma and Emergency Complex will provide immediate care for accident victims and those in critical conditions, significantly reducing mortality rates. The Pediatrics Emergency Complex will ensure that our youngest citizens and the most vulnerable receive timely and specialized care.

The Medical Ward Complex offers comprehensive medical inpatient services, while the Mother and Childcare Complex caters to the specific needs of pregnant women and their newborns. The Radiology Building is equipped with cutting-edge radio-diagnostic equipment crucial for accurate and timely diagnosis, and the General Outpatient Department Complex ensures accessible and continuous care for the broader population.”

Speaking on the size of his dream and what propels his drive, Ugboaja  said: “The remarkable progress at NAUTH has been significantly catalyzed by the visionary leadership of President Bola Tinubu and the  Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate. Their unwavering support and strategic direction have been instrumental in fostering an environment where ambitious projects like the NAUTH Permanent Site can flourish. Their commitment to healthcare excellence, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda, has provided the necessary impetus for transformative initiatives.”

Interestingly, Ugboaja does not see the inauguration of the NAUTH Permanent Site at the highest of his achievements as he regards it as past achievement and looks forward to greater things.

He said: “As we look to the future, it is clear that challenges remain that will require even more robust collaboration. Continued efforts are necessary to ensure that every Nigerian has access to quality health services.

“While Nigeria may be navigating through challenging times, the focus on healthcare transformation is a beacon of hope. Beginning with improving health is indeed the right path, as health is wealth. With collective effort and unwavering resolve, there is confidence that we can build a better country for the future.”

The movement of the institution to its permanent site is just one out of many feats Ugboaja has achieved in the institution.

In the area of improvement of healthcare services, staff empowerment, procurement of state of the art facilities, Ugboaja said the realization of the feats is made possible by strategic partnership, which the leadership of the institution under him pursued with various individuals, groups and organisations. He listed some of those who the institution has partnered with to include; Sir Emeka Offor, late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, Anambra State government, among others.

The CMD has also forged a headway in establishing annexes of the institution in various locations to expand the frontiers of healthcare services of the institution. Two of such are the recent approval of the federal government for the establishment of annexes of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi in the Cottage hospital Enugwubo Ufuma and at Aguezi, Umuogem Ufuma communities of Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Just as the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMOHSW), along with its partners, are ramping up funding and extending health insurance coverage through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), Ugboaja is working towards his initiative to strengthen Primary Health Care (PHC) systems nationwide, ensuring that even the most remote communities have access to essential health services through the establishment of cottage hospitals and annexes of NAUTH in rural areas. This is an area where he has been hailed repeatedly by indigenes of communities where such projects have been sited.

Speaking on the annexes recently acquired, Ugboaja said: “Our only interest is to bring healthcare services closer to Nigerians. We are happy to have the support of President  Tinubu and the Minister of Health, Prof. Pate, both of who have been very supportive in our drive to expand the frontiers of the services we render at NAUTH. We have no reason to fail them, and we will continue to push for excellence in the institution.”