UMTH: Changing the face of management in healthcare system

UMTH: Changing the face of management in healthcare system

By: James Bwala

Everything we look for in terms of a good, functional framework for delivering healthcare services outside of Nigeria is here at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH). Millions of individuals travel abroad every year for purposes that have been established in other nations. Such a system might be a pipe dream for them in Nigeria. The University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, or UMTH, is currently engaged in development that speaks more to the true character of those who wish to change destiny on the fronts of national health.

This development, however, aims to uncover the gift of the almighty in men who availed themselves to be used. NEWSng reports on the impact Professor Ahmed Ahidjo’s CMD University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital is having on people’s lives in the northeast, starting with how the largest hospital in Nigeria is managing its healthcare system.

The University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, which is headed by Professor Ahmed Ahidjo as the CMD, not only pledges to provide better healthcare but also to import some of the industry’s most in-demand services. Ahidjo as a pioneer in the evolving landscape of the management of the healthcare system is doing all possible to restore the prestige of the services that our people paid millions of naira to receive abroad. His first step is to educate the populace about their responsibilities through system organization and monitoring to ensure a demonstration of the world’s best practices in the sanctity of life and a cordial interaction between patients and medical personnel in hospital settings.

On August 2, 2022, in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, NEWSng was there for the inauguration of the revolving fund committees of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. It witnessed and noted the CMD’s and his staff’s body language interactions. Many of those who appreciated Professor Ahmed Ahidjo’s vision in calling for the establishment of departmental operating procedures spoke passionately, professionally, and with a commitment to pursuing changes that will stir the conscience and leave a lasting legacy in their honor.

The CMD and staff of the UMTH decided in the meeting that they must function as a single unit in order to be able to attend to a collective aim for one common purpose. This criterion was made in order to attend to self-sufficiency in carrying out their tasks. The training, which some staff members felt was hurried, covers important topics needed to restore optimism for both the personnel and the patients they are caring for. The reasons for the CMD’s acclaim became clear when he spoke to an audience at the Professor Babagana Zulum Auditorium constructed to accommodate 1,800 people.

Those who listened to him knew that his cautions for the committee members who had missed the inauguration without good reason came from a good heart that is constantly working for the betterment of everybody.

According to NEWSng, Professor Ahidjo suggested that those who skipped the meeting might have done so at their own risk while outlining the reasons for the formation of such committees and how they must function to achieve their goals.

He asserts that “those who are meant to be on the committees but didn’t attend the workshop are not prepared to work in the reinvigorated working spirit for a change in the UMTH.”

Professor Ahidjo also reminded the personnel of the administration’s oath and commitment to seizing any chance to raise the caliber of the services they provided to the public. He declared, “UMTH is not a for-profit corporation, thus staff members must comprehend the need to always provide their finest services and maintain accurate records.”

Regarding the subject of patient exemption for those with less privilege, the CMD provides a convincing argument for when a deserving patient may be exempted, who should authorize the exemption, and why, unless otherwise specified, the CDM must do so.

The state of the hospital in terms of dealing with consumables and non-consumable materials in meeting with the services required of the hospital to patients who came to seek medical aid, as well as the country’s current economic conditions, were factors in changes to the healthcare system.

To promote the external views of the hospital as a gateway to the government social-responsibility to its citizens, speakers who ascended the podium to present papers on how these changes can effectively improve the services and take the hospital to self-sustainability in the discharge of its internal responsibilities aired their claims on the obligations from all and sundry in visioning with the CDM’s approach to development.

In his document titled “Government Obligation on Hospital,” Hassan Yahaya, the AD/Head of Finance, makes an effort to establish and outline the government’s obligations to hospitals starting with its responsibilities to employees. He made reference to the agreements made regarding the funding of ongoing and capital expenses, which included paying salaries, wages, and overhead.

When discussing the medical staff’s responsibilities, Hassan Yahaya observed, “To whom much is given, much is expected. The ability to manage ownership and commitment, contribute to wellbeing for community involvement and project development, practice tolerance, take responsibility for teaching future generations, and promote the spirit of living in accordance with the law are our obligations as chairmen, project managers, and finance managers.”

Dr. Bala Aji Mohammed bases his explanation of the role of servicom or the Service Compact on the interactions between his department and other departments within the hospital and how those interactions can foster and sustain growth and development in each unit, changing what is possible to what is expected of each department and unit under the CMD’s leadership.

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“Patients and any other person doing business with UMTH should receive exceptional service. Additionally, official interactions between medical professionals, consultants, and administrative employees should be observed. In order for the hospital to provide successful care, clinical governance and servicom are both essential. As a result, staff members should promote the need for better services by directing these departments’ efforts toward setting goals.” Dr. Aji Mohammed made a comment.

Dr. Mohammed Lawan, a Consultant Radiologist, provides an overview of today’s healthcare system delivery, processes involving numerous interfaces, and patient handoffs among numerous healthcare practitioners with various levels of educational and occupational training in his paper, “Effective Communications: An Ingredient to Success in a Hospital.”

In his words, “A patient may interact with 50 different staff during the course of a 4-day hospital visit, including doctors, nurses, technicians, and others. Therefore, correct communication of vital information is required frequently in order to engage in effective therapeutic practice. Patient safety is at danger when healthcare providers are unable to communicate properly for a number of reasons.

Dr. Lawan noted that communication between a patient and a caregiver could be hampered by the absence of crucial information, ambiguous telephone instructions, and missed status changes. As a result, effective communication in the healthcare industry is crucial since it can mean the difference between life and death.

Bukar Boribe, the Chief Executive Officer (Audit) of the UMTH, stated that revenue monitoring is viewed as a collective responsibility within an organization. He added that the goal of revenue monitoring is to ensure that services are properly billed, paid, and secured payments are made in order to enable a continuous flow of patient care at a marginal profit for the replacement of consumables and equipment used.

Although income control and monitoring is a joint obligation, Mr. Bukar Boribe, who talked on the six categories of revenue-generating units in the hospital, said that “This responsibility varies from one individual or department to another.”

The income, in his opinion, is the lifeline of continuity in every organization; hence he claimed that in a hospital like the UMTH there are anticipated departments to monitor money in order to assure proper record keeping.

UMTH: Changing the face of management in healthcare system