Health
How the Department of Engineering Services is supporting Ahidjo’s vision to achieve growth leading to success in UMTH
How the Department of Engineering Services is supporting Ahidjo’s vision to achieve growth leading to success in UMTH
By: Balami Lazarus
With huge buildings and other engineering services ongoing at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), little is known to persons outside the hospital that a large Department of Engineering Services manned by certified professional engineers working with Professor Ahmed Ahidjo’s management team has been part of the success story of the largest hospital in Nigeria.
This department is responsible for the day-to-day engineering activities of
the hospital; physical development, building, civil, and general maintenance of the hospital. This collaborative move and sharing of responsibility between the management team and the department of engineering services has saved UMTH a lot of money, thereby keeping all services ongoing at the pace of plans being executed by the management, bringing about changes on a daily basis that are not only the pride of Borno State, the northeast, but Nigeria as a whole.
Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo
Most people tend to limit engineering work and services to building and civil projects that are located in these areas. However, NEWSng recently took a tour of the engineering department to assess its input in the dramatic changes taking place in the hospital beyond the surface of the building where this department is standing. During the tour, it was discovered that beyond works, the department of engineering at the UMTH stood tall in the idea generation for the beautiful architectural output visible to visitors, who continuously admire the efforts being put in by the Professor Ahidjo management team to give the hospital the desired outcome for better services in the technicality of managing such a big health institution in Nigeria.
Working beyond work services, the engineering services of UMTH focus on re-engineering the staff capacity to dream big in fashioning its activities through services and maintenance. This makes it one of the essential services departments in the non-clinical section of the hospital, playing the role of physical and health engineering in this hospital system. While digging further to know more about the department, NEWSng learned more about health engineering services and why they are necessary in hospital settings such as those seen in the UMTH.
While earlier considering the management of sanitary and evacuation of waste in the hospital, the visits opened a chapter on understanding what engineering services also stand for in it’s concerns with sanitary and evacuation of liquid and solid waste in the hospital to make for a healthy atmosphere and environment of the hospital, which is carried out by the Department of Engineering Services as part of their responsibilities.
Engineer Modu Ali Gana, who heads the Engineering Department, revealed during a chat with NEWSng that his department not only ends their work on building and engineering projects. According to him, “We are also into maintenance and services, which is why we are the Department of Engineering Services. We are also into the technical matters of the hospital because we have personnel who are qualified and experienced for such work. And here we speak engineering and technical language.”.
Engineer Modu added that both engineering and technical work are capital projects and are properly handled by professional and experienced men in the department.
NEWSng also understands that there is no doubt about what Engr. Gana said regarding the role of the department in adding value to the hospital considering the various projects undertaken by the department of engineering services in terms of road construction, supervision, and maintenance of capital projects, including the total evacuation of liquid and solid waste.
“Hospitals of this size have several minor sewages that flow daily into the central swage of liquid waste. This is a daily affair. If my department is not involved in the evacuation of this waste and the draining of the sewage, you and I cannot stay here and discuss comfortably. In fact, the hospital should have become a pigsty.”. He explained. “Hospitals are known to be one of the cleanest structures in the health care sector, and UMTH can boast of being one of the cleanest hospitals in Nigeria.” He said
During the visit, NEWSng came across some large incinerators where solid waste is disposed of. This was further explained by the head of the engineering department, Engr. Modu Gana, who said, “Disposal and evacuation of waste are not limited to the vicinity of the hospital, but staff residents, medical students, and school of nursing hostels and offices are not left out. You can see that we are everywhere and need to create a pleasant environment, and we are doing our best to create a healthy environment both for our patients, staff, and visitors to the hospital.”
Another area of interest for the department is the road. There is a good, accessible road network within this renowned hospital, which was constructed by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing Abuja (FMW&H) and maintained by the department of engineering services. It takes serious lobbying by the management team to have these road networks in place. Also, NEWSng learned that some of the newly constructed roads, about 1.6 km, were named after personalities like Mohammad Bukar, Jibril Aminu, Babatunde Raji Fashola, and Babangida Husseini for their various contributions and support to the UMTH.
Considering the growth, progress, and successes achieved through the department of engineering services, one can clearly see the pulses in Professor Ahmed Ahidjo’s vision. Indeed, this is why Engr. Modu Gana said with affirmation that. “Our achievements are numerous. We supervised all the completed projects in the hospital, including the Cancer Center, the Radiology Intervention Project, and the Child Institute Center, among others. There are some ongoing projects that my department is supervising at present. We are the lifewire of structural, mechanical, electrical, and electronics, civil engineering structures, and technical services.”
While growth leads to success, the challenges faced by this department are equally the major challenge of the hospital: the issue of power. The need for power is essential in order to maintain facilities, machines, and tools that aid in the running of the department of engineering services and the entire hospital. Therefore, there are urgent calls on the government and spirited individuals to support the hospital and overcome the challenge of power supply to the hospital.
How the Department of Engineering Services is supporting Ahidjo’s vision to achieve growth leading to success in UMTH
UNAIDS Calls for Continuation of Essential HIV Services While US Global Funding is Paused
By: Michael Mike
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has called for a continuation of all essential HIV services while the United States pauses its funding for foreign aid.
The UNAIDS had on 29 January welcome the news that United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, had approved an “Emergency Humanitarian Waiver,” allowing people to continue accessing lifesaving HIV treatment funded by the U.S. in 55 countries worldwide.
More than 20 million people – two-thirds of all people living with HIV accessing HIV treatment globally – are directly supported by the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
The statement at the weekend by UNAIDS, said: “While continuity of HIV treatment is essential, services must continue to be monitored, and oversight provided for quality. Other critical HIV services for people, especially marginalized people including children, women, and key populations, must continue. Last year, PEPFAR provided over 83.8 million people with critical HIV testing services; reached 2.3 million adolescent girls and young women with HIV prevention services; 6.6 million orphans, vulnerable children, and their caregivers received HIV care and support; and 2.5 million people were newly enrolled on pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV infection.
“Since PEPFAR was created, the United States has been steadfast in its leadership in the fight against HIV. The U.S. has saved millions of lives through its programmes, particularly in the countries most affected by HIV. PEPFAR has had remarkable results in stopping new infections and expanding access to HIV treatment – and this must continue.
“Globally, there are 1.3 million people that are newly infected with HIV every year, 3,500 every day. Young women and girls in Africa are at alarming high risk of HIV, where 3,100 young women and girls aged 15 to 24 years become infected with HIV every week and at least half of all people from key populations are not being reached with prevention services.
“Pregnant women in high HIV prevalent areas must be tested for HIV to determine whether they are living with HIV so they can protect their baby by taking antiretroviral therapy prior to birth. As a result, babies will be born HIV-free.
The statement lamented that many organisations providing services for people living with HIV that are funded, or partly funded, by PEPFAR have reported they will shut their doors due to the funding pause with lack of clarity and great uncertainty about the future, stating that UNAIDS is evaluating the impact and will provide routine and real-time updates to share the latest global and country information, data, guidance, and references.
Executive Director at National Forum of People Living with HIV Network Uganda (NAFOPHANU), Flavia Kyomukama, said: “PEPFAR gave us hope and now the executive order is shattering the very hope it offered for all people living with HIV and our families. As communities we are in shock with the continued closure of clinics. We resolutely demand that all our governments come in haste to fill the gap in human resources needed at the moment to ensure sustainability of HIV service delivery.”
Zimbabwe`s umbrella network of people living with HIV (ZNNP+) stated that the implementation of stop work orders has led to significant fears, including reduced access to essential services, loss of community trust and long-term health outcomes.
The statement said as the waiver is effective for a review period of all U.S. foreign development assistance, future coverage of HIV services – including for treatment – remains unclear and the lives of the millions of people supported by PEPFAR are in jeopardy and could be at stake.
Anele Yawa, General Secretary for the Treatment Action Campaign is worried, noting that: “The PEPFAR-fund freeze will take South Africa and the world back in terms of the gains we have made in our response to HIV,” he said. “We are asking ourselves how are we going to cope in the next three months as people are going to be left behind in terms of prevention, treatment and care.”
The statement added that at a moment when the world can finally get the upper hand on one of the world’s deadliest pandemics, aided by new long-acting HIV prevention and treatment medicines coming to market this year, UNAIDS urges the U.S. to continue its unparalleled leadership and accelerate, not diminish, efforts to end AIDS.
Ut further said UNAIDS looks forward to partnering with the United States, other donors and countries most affected by HIV to ensure a robust and sustainable response to HIV and to achieve our collective goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
UNAIDS Calls for Continuation of Essential HIV Services While US Global Funding is Paused
NSCDC Takes Medical Outreach to Community in Nasarawa
By: Michael Mike
The Nigeria Security and Civil. Defence Corps have continued to strengthen collaborations with one of the best HMOs in Nigeria, the United Healthcare International Ltd., this is in a bid to improve the well being of the serving officers and some host communities and also improve on grassroot security techniques and effective information gathering to forestall criminality.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of a medical outreach organised by the NSCDC Commandant General, Dr Ahmed Audi, said the partnership with the United Healthcare International has positively impacted the Corps hence in order to give back to the communities and further foster and improve on the existing synergy between NSCDC and host communities, the Medical Health Service Department of the NSCDC organized the medical outreach programme to promote effective collaborations.
Delivering a goodwill message while representing the CG at the opening ceremony, ACG Ilelaboye Oyejide reiterated the commitment of the Corps to enhancing the health and well being of not only officers and men of the Corps but also the host
communities.
“In carrying out our statutory mandates, it requires the supports of the host communities for positive results and this is why the NSCDC is concerned about the state of health and wellness of the people.
“As an agency with the roles and responsibility of Disaster mitigation we belief that the free medical outreach organized for the people will go a long way to further cement the existing working relationship of the Corps and the entire community”.
The NSCDC Boss hinted that the Medical outreach would be carried out in various communities as time unfolds he noted that the Corps medical officers alongside the United Healthcare HMOs would be at Laminga Local Government Area of Nasarawa State for the first phase in the year.
NSCDC Takes Medical Outreach to Community in Nasarawa
Korean Film Festival Returns to Nigeria After COVID-19 Break
By: Michael Mike
The Korean Embassy in Nigeria has commenced the Korean Film Festival in Nigeria after it went on break during the CIVID-19 pandemic.
The latest edition is the 12th Edition of the festival and was hosted at the Silverbird Cinema, in Abuja between 19th September to 21st September 2024 with several movies screened.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Korean ambassador to Nigeria, Kim Pankyu, expressed delight with the return of the festival after it was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
He said: “I have come to deeply feel that South Korea and Nigeria share a strong cultural affinity, especially in their love for music and dance.
“Due to this cultural affinity, various elements, such as fashion and cuisine, along with music, are resonating in Nigeria.
“Particularly, there has been a significant surge in the spread of dramas and films.”
He added that: “Along with the global hit ‘Squid Game’ in 2021, the most-watched drama series on Netflix Nigeria in 2022 was ‘Alchemy of souls’.
“Thus, I have come to realise the importance of introducing Korean films to Nigeria, one of the world’s top 3 film-producing countries.”
Also speaking at the event, the Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Mr Obi Asika, said millions of Nigerians had fallen in love with K-pop [Korean music] and K-drama [Korean drama].
He said Nigeria would continue to learn from the Koreans to improve its entertainment industry.
Korean Film Festival Returns to Nigeria After COVID-19 Break
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