Health
MOP is Another Stride in UMTH (2)

MOP is Another Stride in UMTH (2)
By: Balami Lazarus
In my interaction with certain individuals recently in Abuja, I came to realize how far and wide our stories about the achievements made by the management team of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) under Professor Ahmed Ahidjo have gotten to the door steps of the people, especially those who traveled to Maiduguri on medical referrals and returned with good stories from that end of the world.
Following the news report on the Medical Oxygen Plant at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), where the progress and developmental effort under the leadership of the CMD, Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo, who is medically changing the phase of the hospital, viz., healthcare services, teaching, and research, key in the primary aims and objectives for the functions of UMTH, one of the giant tertiary medical institutions and a leading hospital in Nigeria that is contributing immensely to the health sector of the country, I felt the blood running through my veins with so much joy that the people are appreciating the works that kept the UMTH at the top of medical tourism in the country as of today. It takes vision from a man who puts together a team that is working for the greater good.
Oxygen plant.

Recall that our recent visit and inspection of the Medical Oxygen Plant, NEWSng, witnessed mass production taking place in the plant with cylinders of different sizes: bed and amblance sizes are ready for use in wards and centers, as well as for sale and supply to other hospitals and medical facilities in need. The picture was vivid in the transformation agenda set by the management team, and such a plant that we saw also at the National Hospital in Abuja reflected on the vision and mission of the CMD as a determined personality, whose target and aspiration were to write his name in gold not only as a radiology expert but also as a management guru as far as good administration is concerned.
READ ALSO:https://newsng.ng/umth-how-professor-ahidjos-transformation-agenda-impacted-the-information-unit/
Speaking with Engr. Babangida Mohammed Inuwa, the Head of Production and an expert in Oxygen Production Technology, during our last visit, he informed NEWSng that UMTH is considered the best in this area, having been in it for over two decades. His words were as sharp as they were direct. “UMTH is often considered the best in medical oxygen management among her peers for apparently having an onsite oxygen plant for two decades that is still functional. This is evidently telling you that we are no match compared to other hospitals like ours.” On this, we had a test of his words when we visited that national hospital, where discussion led to the understanding that indeed, the UMTH is standing taller when compared.

Therefore, there is no denying the fact that medical oxygen is medicinal for patients and for the purpose of saving the lives of ill patients on the danger list. That is the reason every hospital needs oxygen for immediate or future use. “Medical oxygen is life for the patient.” A medical expert puts it. It has been proven that to change something, you must build a new model or improve upon the existing one to give it a new phase. In this regard, Engr. Inuwa said, “The importance of oxygen plants in modern healthcare delivery cannot be overemphasized.” The installed Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA), a low-power onsite oxygen production technology system, and the 10,000-liter liquid oxygen tank (LOT) have made it possible for adequate medical oxygen supply to the hospital wards and centers in the UMTH.
While concluding our tour of the facility at the UMTH, we noticed the renovation exercise taking place on the premises of the plant. The head of the plant said that this is the focus for improvement. “At the moment, there is an upgrade and renovation exercise being carried out by the management team in the medical oxygen plant premises with the objective of expanding to improve services in medical care.” This indeed explains the push by the CMD for an adequate power supply in the hospital. We have also observed that the plant is not without challenges. The power supply is inadequate. Spare parts for corrective and planned maintenance services are also desperately in need. However, the good news is that UMTH is blessed to have a man of vision and someone who will continue to knock at every door until all challenges are resolved.
MOP is Another Stride in UMTH (2)
Health
We have the best Opthalmology department in the North East of Nigeria – Prof. Tahir

We have the best Opthalmology department in the North East of Nigeria –Prof. Tahir
By: Bodunrin Kayode
Medical Director of the ultra modern Police Hospital Damaturu Prof Bashir Tahir has said that his facility has one of the best Ophthalmology departments in North East Nigeria.
He made this declaration while speaking with this reporter in Damaturu recently.
Professor Tahir stated that having met the facility in a near comatose state, he and his team have been able to create a department of Opthalmology plus six others and set it on a very high standard ready to serve the people in the catchment area.

Tahir who spoke through his Director of Administration Mallam Hamza Saleh stated that “Our Opthalmology dept is one of the best in the North East of Nigeria and you can get a recommended glasses within an hour because of the state of arts machines in that very department in the hospital.”
Speaking on the current expansion going on in the facility the MD stated that “We have ENT and consultants coming from the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital UMTH alternatively during the week to do routine consultations, ward rounds and even operations in the theatre.

“We recently spent about N10m to buy equipments in the ENT and we do hope that all the equipments will be available before the end of the year.
On the revitalization of the facility, he went on: “We actually met the three theatres in bad shape but we have been able to put them into functional use by restructuring them accordingly. For now all three are functioning including the O and G theatre where routine operations have been conducted.

“When we came on board also the hospital was not departmentalized. So we did that and opened the way for more doctors to come by creating these seven departments for them to work in an organized way.
“All the departments are functional with seven consultants who man these departments to the satisfaction of all the patients who visit the facility.
This new facility can also boast of two Eye Nose and Throat surgeons and others as the support staff to support the facility.
“We have about 100 nurses with one that is a police officer. We also have some of them with specialized techniques and that has contributed to the progress of the place.
On medical lab scientists, the MD posited that they now have six lab scientists in different areas, two pharmacists and a couple of technicians that assist them on the ground on a daily basis.

They have a solid Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with a pharmacy company in the supply of drugs which is used to stabilize the availability of drugs in the hospital.
On supply of drugs, he noted that they make sure that people served well and patient are the priority of anything that happens in the facility adding that they now have satellite pharmacies in the facility to ensure quality time is not wasted.
The MD said that it was part of their plan to get most of the major equipments before any fresh employment of any professional commences so that all hands will be on deck to ensure the best.
We have the best Opthalmology department in the North East of Nigeria –Prof. Tahir
Health
UMTH: Interventional Radiology Centre, a High-tech Medical Solution.

UMTH: Interventional Radiology Centre, a High-tech Medical Solution.
By: Balami Lazarus
After the devastating flood of September 2024, UMTH counted so many losses that ran into billions of naira. Little did the public expect too soon that another gigantic medical center that is not found in other hospitals in Nigeria, but only in Maiduguri, situated and being at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital-Borno State.
The IR Centre, or Interventional Radiology Centre, in the words of the Director of the Centre, Dr. Mohammed Lawan, is a hospital within a hospital, describing the massive building equipped with the latest medical equipment as a center for carrying out radiology services, for training, and for research purposes.
The Chief Medical Director, Professor Ahmed Ahidjo, Midas touch has produced and added medical value to nourish the healthcare delivery services through the new Interventional Radiology Center (IRC). “This center is another medical solution to interventional radiology treatments…. We are proud to have this as a medical facility”.



What is interventional radiology? According to Dr. Mohammed Lawan, who spoke to NEWSng. Interventional Radiology It is a medical specialty that performs various minimally invasive procedures and techniques to treat many medical conditions that once required open surgery. The use of medical imaging guidance through sophisticated and high-tech medical equipment like x-ray fluoroscopy, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, etc., are some major working medical gadgets to qualify interventional radiology. Therefore, the center is meant to offer specialized medical surgery/treatment and healthcare delivery services to patients at UMTH through interventional radiology surgery.
READ ALSO:https://newsng.ng/hmpom-2022-grand-celebration-for-her-members/


In furtherance of NEWSng findings, a walk into the center opens up to so many clinics and equipment that draw attention. The center is an imposing building beautifully designed with offices equipped with furniture, medical equipment, and materials of high quality. Ultrasound, computed tomography, and other working tools are used to give it a full certification to be known, called, and addressed as the Interventional Radiology Center of standard offering international best practices.
Prof. Ahidjo told NEWSng that “we are the only ones that see the inside at all times when and where there are medical radiology cases. He further said that the center will also serve as a reference point for radiologists, consultants, doctors, and medical students. “The Interventional Radiology Center is meant to make a difference in providing quality healthcare services in medicine. IRC is my new baby”. e center has male and female wards with what it takes to have in a specialized sentence like IRC of UMTH. To make it easy for those with mobility challenges, the building is designed to ease their movement within the facility. The reception area and the patient’s waiting room, as well as the recovery room, are of worth according to standards obtainable in any medical center or hospital.

When NEWng entered into the building, Dr. Mohammed Lawan was already attending to patients, and this afforded our special team to see things firsthand. This concludes that with the emergence of IRC, UMTH has finally revealed the true medical specialty of Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo to so many people out there who see him like any other professor of medicine. The CMD and/or hospital administrator. “Prof. Ahidjo is a surgeon consultant and interventional radiologist, one of the best brains in this particular field of medicine, within and without,” said one radiologist.
UMTH: Interventional Radiology Centre, a High-tech Medical Solution.
Health
Why UMTH is Nigeria’s leading healthcare institution.

Why UMTH is Nigeria’s leading healthcare institution.
By: Dr. James Bwala
UMTH’s medical professionals and medical breakthroughs in Nigeria Medical institutions around the country should continue to prioritize infrastructure development. UMTH’s commitment to staff training and development was critical to its growth. The hospital invested heavily in ongoing professional development programs, ensuring that its medical staff were not only well-versed in the most recent information and skills used by the hospital, but also had the opportunity to show them. UMTH’s initiatives ensured that its healthcare professionals stayed at the cutting edge of medical advances and practices.
Professor Ahmed Ahidjo’s creative leadership has helped the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) become a renowned healthcare institution in Nigeria. Over the last 40 years, UMTH has experienced substantial modernization and expansion, transitioning from a single-building complex to a multi-institutional system. This expansion included the construction of important facilities such as a 150-bed trauma center and a 1,000-seat theater, which greatly improved the hospital’s ability to provide outstanding medical services. By deliberately extending its facilities, UMTH has established itself as a key healthcare provider not only in northeastern Nigeria but throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.
Furthermore, the hospital’s expansion reflects broader trends in Nigerian healthcare systems, which attempt to improve service delivery in the face of numerous problems. While many tertiary hospitals confront challenges such as insufficient medical equipment and staff training, UMTH’s proactive approach has enabled it to successfully manage these difficulties. As it continues to adapt and innovate in the healthcare industry, UMTH demonstrates how strategic planning may result in significant improvements in patient care.
Under Professor Ahmed Ahidjo’s guidance, UMTH developed its physical infrastructure while also investing in innovative medical technologies and thorough staff training programs to improve service delivery. This strategy not only increased the hospital’s operational efficiency, but it also drew a cadre of highly competent medical staff committed to sustaining high standards of care.
READ ALSO:https://newsng.ng/kashim-shettima-of-sentiments-their-opinions-and-the-21-billion-naira-vps-official-resident/
These strategic developments, together with a dedication to excellence, have established UMTH as a leader in healthcare innovation and quality in the Northeast. Furthermore, the creation of specialist centers, including the 150-bed trauma center and renovated auxiliary facilities, has substantially improved UMTH’s ability to handle difficult medical cases, confirming its image as Nigeria’s preeminent healthcare institution. Furthermore, the hospital’s dedication to research and partnership with international medical institutes has created a culture of continual learning and innovation.
UMTH’s dedication to both patient care and academic quality has established a standard for other institutions in the region, maintaining its position as a healthcare leader. Under the innovative leadership of Professor Ahmed Ahidjo, UMTH has increased its facilities and services, most notably with the installation of a Child Institute, Cancer Centre, Burns Centre, a 150-bed trauma center, and a 1000-seat auditorium, amongst others, which have been important in improving its capacity to deliver.
Strategic connections with international institutions have not only fostered information exchange but also brought cutting-edge medical technology to the hospital’s doorstep. This technological breakthrough has not only increased diagnosis and treatment capacities but has also established UMTH as a top choice for medical education and research. Leveraging these improvements, UMTH has also prioritized healthcare professional training, ensuring that both current and new hires are skilled in using cutting-edge technology to offer excellent patient care.
The emphasis on continuing professional development has kept UMTH’s healthcare professionals at the forefront of medical developments, ensuring high levels of patient care and safety. Furthermore, the hospital’s concentration on research and development has resulted in ground-breaking studies that have greatly advanced medical knowledge, cementing its position as Nigeria’s preeminent healthcare facility.
This dedication to quality is also evident in the hospital’s patient satisfaction rates, which have regularly exceeded national averages, demonstrating the efficacy of its comprehensive approach to treatment. UMTH’s ability to provide great healthcare is enhanced by its strong infrastructure and an innovative culture that pervades all aspects of its operations.
Dr. James Bwala, PhD, writes from Abuja.
Why UMTH is Nigeria’s leading healthcare institution.
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