Health
UMTH: Looking at the Hub for Organizational and Administrative Tasks (2)
UMTH: Looking at the Hub for Organizational and Administrative Tasks (2)
By: Balami Lazarus
The beauty of the Department of Administration at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) is the manifestation of its inputs in the productivity of its personnel, who are in clinical and non-clinical departments and sections of the hospital. The Department of Administration has further revealed the amazing organizational and administrative tasks of productivity hidden in open and secret files where they are kept for and on behalf of the hospital under the progressive leadership of Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo, the CMD.
This is also where recruitments, documentation, promotions, transfers, referrals, discipline, or dismissal emanate. It is also an office of glad interactions where you feel and see top management and other staff in contact physically filing in and out with reports, actions, and solutions on matters of collective interest in an attempt to move forward in keeping the hospital systems running in all its units.
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NEWSng reports that the Department of Administration, which is the connecting rod where all administrative matters of other departments, including units and subunits, are centered, treated, or noted as the case might be, has put the UMTH on the map of progressive teaching hospitals in Nigeria, and indeed, with the way and manner in which its operations have been over the years, it has carved a niche for itself in all senses of management.
The Director of Administration (DA), Mr. Idriss Omar, recently told NEWSng that the coming of the team to visit and see the work ongoing in the hospital and the reflection of its activities on not just the environment where the institution is located but the world over through its online view has created more opportunities for people to know the capacity and capability of the hospital in meeting the clinical and non-clinical expectations of Nigerians and people across the sub-Saharan African states.
CMD, Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo
“I am glad that I have had the opportunity to speak with you before now about the activities we run here at the UMTH. I have seen so many of your reports on the hospital, and I can tell you that hundreds of people have been commenting on your dedication to showcasing the UMTH and its developmental strides. This tells anyone how important the hospital is, especially this department, which also keeps records of correspondence and other transactions or dealings with individuals or corporate bodies within and outside the hospital.” Mr. Idriss Omar said.
During the brief interaction with staff across the board, it was learned that the board of management of the hospital, who are high-level personalities appointed by the Federal Government and approved by Mr. President and who were drawn from different walks of life to serve as members of the UMTH Management Board, has keyed into the vision of the CDM in making sure that the dream of putting the UMTH as the leading hospital per excellence in terms of number of beds, professionals, and what have you becomes the truth of its position.
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These are men of wisdom who are experienced and knowledgeable and have extended their wealth of experience as hospital policymakers to grease the wheel of progress, which is driving the vision of the CMD towards greater achievements for the common good. “The board sits on the hierarchy of hospital management as policymakers. They are elders who guide the hospital in her dealings with the larger society, using their experiences, connections, and contacts to see that UMTH, through Prof. Ahidjo, achieves its objectives in the health care sector. I served as the secretary of the board.” The Director of Administration added.
He further explained that while he, as DA, served in the top management, the CMD, Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo, served as chairman, and together they took responsibility for ensuring the day-to-day running of the hospital and were also charged with implementing policies formulated by the Board of Management.
According to Mr. Idriss Omar, the chain of management roles in the UMTH offers many opportunities for smooth operations. He believes that such a graceful opportunity gave rise to many achievements that are being recorded in the hospital in terms of its growth and expansion over the years. “CMD has remained a man of focus, and he listens to suggestions and advice, which is why I can say that since he assumed office, there have been progressive changes in the operations of the hospital to this day.”
UMTH: Looking at the Hub for Organizational and Administrative Tasks (2)
Health
Korean Film Festival Returns to Nigeria After COVID-19 Break
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
Health
New UNAIDS Report that Debt Crisis Has Left Health Chronically Underfunded in Africa
New UNAIDS Report that Debt Crisis Has Left Health Chronically Underfunded in Africa
By: Michael Mike
Growing public debt is choking sub-Saharan African countries, leaving them with little fiscal room to finance health and critical HIV services, a new report by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS).
The report said domestic revenues, debt relief and development aid: Transformative pathways for ending AIDS by 2030 Eastern and Southern Africa/ Western and Central Africa, shows that the debt crisis is putting in jeopardy progress made towards ending AIDS.
It added that sub-Saharan Africa accounts for the largest number of people living with HIV, with more than 25.9 million people of the 39.9 million living with HIV globally. The region’s success in having reduced new HIV infections by 56% since 2010 will not be sustained if fiscal space is constrained.
The report, released ahead of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, showed that the combination of growing public debt payments and spending cuts set out in International Monetary Fund agreements in the next three to five years will, if unaddressed, leave countries dangerously under resourced to fund their HIV responses.
The UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said: “When countries cannot effectively look after the health care needs of their people because of debt payments, global health security is put at risk,” adding that: “Public debt needs to be urgently reduced and domestic resource mobilization strengthened to enable the fiscal space to fully fund the global HIV response and end AIDS.”
The report said debt servicing now exceeds 50% of government revenues in Angola, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia, adding that even after debt relief measures, Zambia will still be paying two-thirds of its budget on debt servicing between 2024 and 2026.
It said there has been a noted decline in HIV response spending since 2017 in Western and Central Africa, from 0.3% of GDP in 2017 to just 0.12% in 2022.
It said Western and Central Africa will need to mobilize US$ 4.18 billion to fully fund the HIV response in 2024. This will climb to US$ 7.9 billion by 2030 unless efforts are scaled up today to stop new HIV infections.
While US$ 20.8 billion was available for the HIV response in 2022 in low and middle-income countries through both domestic and international sources, this funding was not enough to sufficiently finance the HIV response. Western and Central Africa for example had a funding shortfall of 32% in 2022.
In 2024 alone, Eastern and Southern Africa will need to mobilize almost US$ 12 billion to fully fund the HIV response. This amount will climb to around US$ 17 billion by 2030 unless new HIV infections are reduced.
It said to enable increased domestic resource mobilization for countries to respond effectively to their pandemics, sub-Saharan African countries will need to strengthen their tax systems, including closing tax exemptions which currently cost countries an average of 2.6% of GDP in lost revenue across the region. Donors need also to scale up financial assistance for health and the HIV response between now and 2030, while creditors should offer debt relief to heavily indebted countries to ease the burden.
Byanyima said: “World leaders cannot let a resource crunch derail global progress to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.”
New UNAIDS Report that Debt Crisis Has Left Health Chronically Underfunded in Africa
Health
Flood in UMTH: Professor Ahidjo’s demonstrated leadership in emergencies
Flood in UMTH: Professor Ahidjo’s demonstrated leadership in emergencies
By Dr. James Bwala
The flooding in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State in northern Nigeria, has presented serious issues for the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH). The administration of the hospital has been putting a lot of effort into determining the extent of the impact as they prepare to put in place a comprehensive strategy to deal with these environmental issues and guarantee that medical care is provided as usual.
UMTH considers improving its infrastructure resilience to be one of its main tactics. In order to lessen water accumulation during future heavy rains, the hospital intends to improve the drainage systems surrounding its property. It also intends to participate in community outreach programs that educate locals about flood risks and promote preventive measures like proper waste disposal and land management techniques that can lessen the effects of flooding. Furthermore, UMTH has improved its alliances with both governmental and non-governmental groups in order to streamline the mobilization of resources in times of crisis.
Speaking on the destruction caused by the flood at UMTH, the CMD stated that flooding presents serious problems for communities all around the world and calls for efficient response systems. The Chief Medical Director (CMD) has started a number of programs to lessen the negative effects of floods and prevent them from happening again. He claims that the hospital works to lessen vulnerability and increase resilience in affected populations and patients by implementing comprehensive flood control policies and strategic planning.
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The creation of early warning systems that enable prompt alerts for approaching floods is one of the CMD’s planned initiatives. By utilizing cutting-edge meteorological data and predictive analytics, these devices will help UMTH communities get ready for any future flooding. Additionally, public awareness campaigns have been crucial in informing the public about the dangers of flooding and in supporting preventative measures like emergency evacuation plans, which the hospital intends to utilize going forward. These programs are made more effective by including community input, which guarantees that decision-making processes are informed by local expertise.
Two crises were brought about by the flooding: the immediate risk to patient safety and the interruption of medical services. In response, UMTH took extensive steps to protect its patients’ wellbeing while guaranteeing the continuity of their care. These actions included creating emergency procedures. Also, a plan for the allocation of funds for flood control and working with the government to enable prompt responses may be understood in the efforts to assess the level of disruption by the flood.
The mobilization of medical staff to obtain vital medical supplies and support patients in evacuation attempts was a crucial component of UMTH’s reaction. Employees put in a great deal of effort to move patients who were at risk from impacted locations on the hospital grounds, giving priority to those who needed intensive care or had chronic illnesses. In addition, patients were accommodated in makeshift shelters that were established upstairs at the hospital.
Significant worries about patient safety and the operational integrity of medical equipment have been raised by the water occurrences at the cancer centers and radiology departments. The Chief Medical Director, or CMD, has stated that quick evaluations are essential to determine the level of harm done to these devices, especially considering how important they are to treatment plans and diagnostic imaging. Flooding can affect these sophisticated instruments’ calibration as well as performance, which might result in inaccurate readings or inefficient therapy delivery. Therefore, it is essential that a thorough assessment be carried out prior to any device being approved for usage.
Professor Ahmed Ahidjo
The CMD also stresses the need for thorough backup planning and routine maintenance to reduce the likelihood of similar events in the future. This entails making investments in waterproofing techniques for crucial sections of healthcare facilities to guarantee that equipment can tolerate unforeseen environmental difficulties. The current state of affairs emphasizes the necessity of proactive risk management techniques and serves as a reminder of the vulnerabilities present in the healthcare system.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD) made admirable efforts to guarantee that patient care remained a top priority in the face of these challenges. These preventative actions included arranging for the deployment of resources, improving staff coordination, and putting emergency protocols in place to handle the flood of patients impacted by the catastrophe. In times of crisis, the response from patients and their families demonstrates a complex interaction between heightened expectations and thankfulness.
The majority of patient relations’ responses to these initiatives were favorable. Numerous people conveyed gratitude for the CMD’s leadership amid a turbulent moment, emphasizing how prompt actions reduced possible health risks related to flooding. The construction of makeshift hospitals in safer locales demonstrated compassion for patients in times of emergency and built a rapport between medical staff and patients. Since it strengthens the therapeutic connection at the heart of efficient healthcare delivery, this trust is crucial.
Indeed, the flooding has had a substantial impact on the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), exacerbating pre-existing issues within the healthcare system. Thousands of patients depend on the hospital, a major healthcare facility in northeastern Nigeria, for both routine and emergency care, making it an indispensable resource. There is an urgent need for more governmental and non-governmental help in light of the flood issues currently facing the region in order to guarantee that UMTH can carry on offering vital medical services to the community, Nigeria, and all of west Africa.
Dr. James Bwala, PhD, writes from Abuja.
Flood in UMTH: Professor Ahidjo’s demonstrated leadership in emergencies
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