By Emeka Attah
Dr Joseph Ugboaja yesterday took over as the Acting Chief Medical Director, (CMD), Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi Anambra state following the expiration of the tenure of Prof. Anthony Igwegbe, erstwhile CMD.
In a handover ceremony at the temporary site of the hospital in Nnewi, witnessed by the Hospital Board of Directors and top management staff, Ugboaja thanked the immediate past CMD , Prof. Igwegbe for all his efforts at moving the hospital forward.
He told the staff and management that the best way to appreciate Igwegbe’s efforts was for all to join hands together to move the hospital forward from where he stopped.
Unveiling his action plan towards making NAUTH a centre of excellence in healthcare delivery on Nigeria, he said the new vision is to make NAUTH rank among the top five hospitals in the country.
He said the aim would be achieved through massive infrastructural development at the permanent site, procurement of the state –of-the-art equipment as well as investment in strategic human resource development.
He enumerated the development pillars to included team work, strong partnerships with stakeholders, regular interactions, strong corporate governance structure as well as accountability, transparency and integrity.
While soliciting for the cooperation of the staff and management in actualizing his vision, he noted that any vision not shared is dead and assured that under his watch, positive attitudinal change among the staff through trainings, sensitizations and monitoring would be central in his administration.
“In the coming weeks, we will be focusing on the emergency service points which include the accident and emergency unit, the children emergency unit and the labour ward. The intensive care unit, special baby care unit, central surgical sterilizing department as well as the trauma centre will all receive priority attention. We will continue our movement to the permanent site by completing the movement of all clinics to the specialty clinic building thus freeing more space at the temporary site for more services” he said.
Earlier, the out gone CMD, Prof Igwegbe expressed confidence on the ability of Dr Ugboaja as the most senior ranking management staff after him to continue piloting the affairs of the hospital to greater heights.
Dr. Ugboaja, an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist by training and his been the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi and Director, Clinical Services, Research and Training of the hospital until his latest appointment as the Acting CMD.
He holds a Postgraduate Fellowships in Obstetrics and Gynaecology of National Postgraduate Medical College, Nigeria (FMCOG), West Africa College of Surgeons (FWACS), and International College of Surgeons (FICS).
He joined the NAUTH management in 2014 as the deputy CMAC, a position he held for 4 years. He was subsequently appointed the CMAC in 2017 for the initial tenure of 2 years which ended in 2019. He was reappointed in 2019 for the final tenure of 2 years as the CMAC of the hospital.
His tenure as the CMAC of the hospital brought a lot of innovative changes and improvements in services which includes the clinicopathologic conferences, formation of the Research society and Cancer society; minimal access committee, introduction of total quality management system and laboratory quality management system as well as the quality improvement committee. He also introduced the annual NAUTH scientific conferences and won accreditation for many training programmes.
Present during the handover included Chairman of hospital board, Chief Ezekiel Irmiya Afukonyo represented by a board member, Prof Katsayal Umar. Other board members present were Hon Haruna Doguwa and Mrs Rosemary Okeighazi. Members of management that witnessed the event were the DA, Mrs Nwofor Chinyelu, the Deputy CMAC, Dr Ogochukwu Ezejiofor; Head of Accounts, Mrs V.C Nduka; Head of Works, Mrs Pamela Ohanaja and Head, audit Mrs Anliefo I.
