Established in 2001 as Kogi State diagnostic hospital and renamed ‘Kogi State University Teaching Hospital (KSUTH), Anyigba in 2012. A perfect destination of medical diagnosis and treatment as at the time of its establishment, equipped with the state of arts facilities and machines. Considering its strategic location in state, and nearness to the university medical college, a good choice indeed for the state owned university.
Fast forward to 2016, it is now very apparent that this health institution is no match for a standard teaching hospital. The dilapidated structures, underequipped laboratories, absent infrastructure and staffs have become a bone of contention for this tertiary health institution. These have not only denied the medical school NUC/MDCN accreditation, but also made stagnant the career of over a hundred and fifty (150) medical doctors in the embryo, of which ninety-nine percent (99%) are Kogi indigenes.
The failure of past government to upgrade this teaching hospital to a standard level for over four (4) years now has caused a technical stagnation of the medical students in preclinical level. The emotional and psychological trauma the students go through is inexplicable. A one time promising school was literally abandoned. The politics being played here has resulted to little or no progression at all. A lot of talks, deliberations and writings have been going on for the past few years with no financial imbursement, the only catalyst of change needed here.
It is worthy of recall that instead of upgrading KSUTH, Anyigba, to a standard teaching hospital, the previous administration unguardedly and heedlessly wasted a lot of money starting another teaching hospital, which of course is at less than 5% completion, foundation level to be precise.
The New Direction administration of His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, cannot be blamed on this. It is commendable that the state Governor has prioritized the health sector and is committed to all round development of our health institutions and services. This he has shown through the many medical outreaches and press releases on the need to upgrade our state owned health facilities.
It is also worthy of note that Governor Yahaya Bello has set up a sixteen man committee to come out with the fastest possible option of salvaging the situation.
The state government actually has a lot options right now, but the tough question is “which is most preferable? “. The presence of two other tertiary hospitals, Kogi state specialist hospital and the Federal medical center, Lokoja, is a conjoint option. The unilateral exchange program with other institutions outside the country is another advisable option.
Some medical practitioners and elder statesmen have advised the state government to replicate what some states have done in Kogi as well. For some senior medical practitioners of Kogi origin, in order to get the desired medical expertise and powerful/ intelligent workforce, it is better the state government send her pioneer medical students who are due for clinical training abroad. Not only will this groom the students to become better doctors, it would also revitalize the state health sector when they eventually return to the state to serve for a couple of years.
An elder statesman while speaking with our correspondent noted that recently, over 60 students from Jigawa state were sent to a Chinese medical school to complete their training, costing the Jigawa state government about 100million naira only. Also, about 2 years ago, more than 200 medical students of Osun state university were sent to Ukraine to complete medical students. These set of students were transferred outside the country with a cost implication of less than two million naira per student.
Some parents have also agreed with the fact that this is about the cheapest and fastest option in saving the situation. For the students, it is mixed reactions with just one saying, “we just want to start clinical training”.
The state government as well as the 16 man committee has therefore been advised to as quick as possible, come out with an option to get the medical students out of this most dreaded condition, preferably sending her students abroad. Sending the students abroad is not a difficult option for a very proactive governor like Alhaji Yahaya Bello, says Mrs Attabo who so much believe in the uniqueness of the New Direction team.
It is worthy to note that the stagnated students of Kogi state university are even massively contributing their quota to the state health sector through their medical outreaches and programs that has affected thousands of Kogites. Some through their professional associations have even promised to work for the state and improve health services after graduation. The students right now need the support of the government to continue their studies and become medical doctors in the shortest possible time. In a state executive council visit to the institution sometime in October 2016, the medical students who so much believe in the New Direction agenda peacefully demonstrated; on their placards was a common inscription, “FAIR PLUS, FAIR ACCREDITATION”.
– Samuel Ojogbane wrote from Anyigba
