Plans To Convert Specialist Hospital To Teaching Hospital Underway

…. as SEC Approves Reconstruction Work

By Samuel Luka, Bauchi

Bauchi state government has announced plans to convert the state own Specialist Hospital to the status of University Teaching Hospital, upon completion of renovation and reconstruction of the hospital which the Executive Council approved during its sitting on Wednesday.

Briefing journalists after the state executive council meeting at the government house Bauchi, State Commissioner of Health, Doctor Sani Mohammed Dambam, said Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state had during his recent visit, expressed regret over the level of dilapidation of the Specialist Hospital.

According to the Commissioner, due to issues relating to maintenance, the specialist hospital has become a shadow of itself, a situation he said necessitated the decision of the Governor to visit the facility sometimes last 30th July 2024.

The Commissioner stated that the Governor used the opportunity to asses the level of dilapidation of some of the structures of the hospital and promised to reconstruct the hospital for the benefit of the people of Bauchi state.

The Commissioner said, “today the state executive council has approved for that all important work which is expected to commence in honest”.

Doctor Dambam who disclosed that the reconstruction work on the hospital is going to be conducted in phases, added that the state government is hopeful that work will be completed before the end of 2025.

“The renovation include basically four main components. The first one is the complete and total renovation of the main hospital complex which will include wards, consulting clinic, laboratories, theaters, delivery suits and ICU centres”, he said.

The Commissioner further informed that the first phase will also see to the provision of investigation and emergence centres, Side wards, Side labs, common rooms, seminar rooms and all that is required of a tertiary health facility.

He said that the hospital to be reconstructed will not only be for routine clinical services but also for training, research and referral center, adding that when completed, the Bauchi’s specialist hospital will be good to be converted to Bauchi state Teaching Hospital.

He said that the second part of the renovation is the provision of modern and advanced medical and advance equipments which will cover most of the specialized component of medical practice to include magnetic Resonance Imaging Machines (MRI), Computer thermographic Machine (CT-Scan) and the X-ray machines.

The Health Commissioner added that the hospital will also have the gene Expert machines for molecular Diagnosis of some diseases, dialysis center, ICU machines, theater and other surgical equipments.

He stated that there will be additional structures which were not there or have been there but will be separated from the main building complex.

“These would include but not limited to mortuary, Laundry Centre, Restaurant, Water Treatment Plant, Oxygen Plant, Security post, Perimeter fencing, new entrance gate, access road, among others”, he said.

According to the Health Commissioner, the forth component of the project include the provision of about 130 staff housing units which will benefit the not only the hospital staff but will boost economic activities of the host community in several ways.

He said by having the facility and carrying out training, people will come from other areas to live, thereby improving both social and economic activities of the people of Bauchi state.

He said that the citizens of the state will have job opportunities, including the Pre-service scheme students who upon completion, would want to come back to serve the state.

Corroborating, the state Commissioner of Information, Hon Shehu Usman Shehu said the move is part of Governor Mohammed’s resolve to address medical tourism as well the menace of exodus of Doctors from Nigeria to other countries.