By Aisha Audu.
Efforts to boost the delivery of high-quality health services to Lokoja community and environs in Kogi state received a huge boost recently with the accreditation of Department of Family Medicine at the State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja by National Postgraduate College of Nigeria.
In line with this, the accredited department can provide consultancy services and training of doctors; just as the exercise has afforded the department the opportunity to become fully equipped to meet current standards in family medicine.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, Prof Isah Adagiri Yahaya who made the disclosure in Lokoja, shortly after hosting the visiting accreditation team, reaffirmed government’s determination to enhance qualitative health care delivery in Kogi.
The CMD promised to increase the space capacity for more offices and room upon completion of the ongoing construction projects at the hospital as well as procure more of the unavailable medical materials to fill the gaps in the clinics and wards as observed by the accreditation team.
While applauding Governor Yahaha Bello for creating an enabling environment for health sector to grow in the state, the CMD said the accreditation exercise would be extended to other departments.
It would be recalled that the State Specialist Hospital played host to a team of Senior Fellows from the National Postgraduate College of Nigeria who were in Kogi to accredit Department of Family Medicine of the hospital.
The accreditation team was led by Dr. Simon Pitman. The two other members were Dr. Benedict Mairiga and Dr. Olabode Shabi.
The accreditation exercise began with a visit to the hospital information management system (records department). Other sites visited by the team were the General Out-patient Clinics, Accident and Emergency Ward, Pharmacy Department, Radiology and Pathology Departments, Emergency Paediatric Unit, Labour room, Main theatre, Combined Male and Female Medical/Surgical wards and the NHIS Clinic.
Speaking at the end of the exercise, the accreditation team commended the hospital for her commitment to specialist training while noting that specialist training in Family Medicine was well-structured.
They equally praised the hospital for her information management system which they described as highly efficient and worthy of emulation by other tertiary hospitals.
However, the team highlighted some of the challenges of the Hospital which he include: non-availability of manual suction machines as back up to existing electronic ones, unavailability of electronic means of tracking out of stock drugs in the pharmacy as an alternative and adjunct to the available tally system.
It also observed the need to block financial leakages in the NHIS by ddoctors and desk officers, the need to sponsor resident doctors for update courses and examinations as well as space constraints and inadequate sleeping rooms for staff on night duty.
