Radiologist Worries Over 6 Proposed Private Sector Managed Hospitals

 

Inikori, the Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) of the Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH), told newsmen that building new hospitals would not solve the nation’s present health challenges.

The Federal Government had on Aug.14 announced its intention to establish private sector managed mega hospitals in each of the six geo-political zones.

This was part of its renewed efforts to bring affordable health services to Nigerians and to reduce medical tourism.

He said that it might eventually become one of the many abandoned projects after President Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure.

 “While we appreciate the challenges with the present structures that we have, especially the level of infrastructure with the various hospitals that we have, I still believe strongly that it may not be totally right to just go into building new structures across the six geo-political zones.

“My worry with starting a new project as we all know in this country is what happens when Jonathan`s tenure is over? You may not be able to sustain it and before you know it, it becomes abandoned project.

“Okay, if you start these hospitals, maybe at fast pace, you are probably able to complete two or three, what happens to the other three? While they are thinking of these, have they also thought of the legislative framework that will give backing to this thing you are about to establish, so, that it is not something that dies when Goodluck Jonathan is away, the next person is able to sustain it.

“I have my worry about brand new project that you never can tell, we may not be able to complete.”

Inikori said that the method of western countries could be adopted where very old hospital structures were being modified and re-adapted to meet with the current challenges of healthcare delivery.

He said that the teaching hospitals in the country could be re-structured and re-modified rather than building new ones.

Inikori also advised that there should be a legislative frame work or a bill to back up such project if they must be carried out so that it would not wish away.

 “Let’s look at the present structures; we have so many teaching hospitals across the land. You can pick the existing teaching hospitals and modify the infrastructure.

“You can acquire more land; you can have an annex of UCH for instance; you can have an annex of Jos University Teaching Hospital. We have vast land; we don’t necessarily need to start a new hospital project entirely.

“One thing I have come to realise in this country is that such things that you have legislative framework for by way of may be a bill from the National assembly or whatever are usually difficult to kill because you need to go and undo the law in the National Assembly.

“These are some of the innovations that they should look at to improve the level of service delivery. Let’s still keep seeing how we can re-adapt the present infrastructure to suit whatever new goals that you have set for those hospitals.”