Alhaji Modu has been suffering from fatigue, body pain alongside other symptoms. When he went to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), he met a large crowd of patients already there. It took him days before he was able to see a consultant and do tests that confirmed he was suffering from kidney disease.
In spite of the gravity of his condition, he was slated for surgery three weeks later instead of immediately.
He was in grievous pain during the three weeks’ wait. However, on getting to the hospital a day before the surgery as he was instructed, he was told that the consultant to do the surgery had travelled, and he had to wait till he returned.
The 70-year-old man said he couldn’t go to a private hospital because only UMTH could handle his case, and he also could not afford the charges at private hospital.
He said as he tried to see a doctor at the hospital, he met people who slumped while on the long queues or died while waiting for an appointment for surgery or second visits to the medical personnel.
“Many people come from all over the state to access care but the doctors are not enough. Many people die while waiting to see a doctor or to undergo medical procedures,” he lamented.
A mother of five who craved anonymity said her experience at the hospital has been frustrating. She said some of the hospital staff often resorted to favouritism in attending to patients because of the large attendance and inadequate number of medical doctors in the hospital.
“People are facing a lot of hardships while trying to see a doctor at the hospital, and when you see one, it is another painful process to access the treatment you need,” she said.
A resident of Potiskum, Alhaji Muhammadu Saidu, said aside from the large crowd of patients, some doctors and nurses showed poor attitudes towards those seeking health care.
“We were to see a doctor because of my wife’s health but we had to come thrice from Potiskum to Maiduguri, despite the insecurity of Maiduguri/Damaturu highway. It is frustrating and some of the doctors are not friendly at all. They behave as if they are kings.
“We understand that UMTH is always crowded by patients and they are overwhelmed but they need to be sensitive to the plight of the sick too,” he said.
Hajara Bello, who attends ante-natal, said she always had to contend with favouritism whenever she visited the hospital despite leaving her home in the Bulumkutu area as early as 5am to enable her and pick a queue number.
“In other to get prompt attention, you have to be either influential in the state, know someone in the hospital or you must be a senior staff in UMTH,” she lamented.
Lydia Simon, an outpatient, expressed concern over the attitude of some of the medical records staff.
“The CMD needs to act fast before bad elements destroy the good work he is doing in giving the hospital a new look.
“They can keep chatting non-stop instead of attending to patients. They have frustrated so many people. They don’t even care whether you’re an emergency patient or not,” she observed.
UMTH is struggling to cope with the large number of patients both from outside and within the state.
The hospital is also hampered by obsolete equipment and inadequate staff as many doctors and nurses are leaving the hospital for greener pastures making the workload much for those there.
Investigation revealed that the blackout that hit Maiduguri and its environs almost a year now has been one of the major challenges facing UMTH since its services and operations rely on electricity to power machines.
This has not only limited its operations but such services have to be put on hold until generators are switched, leaving the patients to bear the burnt.
Several structures in the hospital have been renovated and massive construction is going on in the hospital, however, the federal government must also increase funding in the areas of non-clinical staff especially security and cleaners if it must remain the centre of excellence that it used to be known as.
This category of staff is being owed several months’ salaries, this reporter gathered.
Insurgency compounding the woes of UMTH
The 12-year-old insurgency in the North East has led to the destruction of health facilities, with many left with no choice other than UMTH.
The zone is estimated to have only six training institutions with 631 resident doctors compared to the South West that has 33 training institutions with 1,922 resident doctors.
Currently, Maiduguri city houses more than four million people and many primary health care facilities have been destroyed by insurgents.
This reporter gathered that more than 60 per cent of primary and secondary health care facilities in the state are not functioning as a result of insurgency.
When contacted, the Chief Medical Director of UMTH, Prof Ahmad Ahidjo, said the hospital has mechanisms in place to ensure there is sanity in the system. He urged members of the public who have proof of misbehaviour by any staff in the hospital to come forward and report such staff, adding that appropriate measures would be meted on such staff.
The Head of Department, Infectious Diseases and Clinical Immunology, Prof Ibrahim Musa Kida, said the hospital is trying its best to provide optimal services despite the challenges it is facing.
He explained that the hospital was supposed to be a referral centre, not a primary or secondary centre, but that doctors and nurses in the hospital always attended to patients.
He said, “The insurgency has led to overcrowding of this place. So to say we are overwhelmed and overstretched is an understatement.
“But I can tell you that this hospital has been seeing patients not just from Borno but other northeastern states as well as neighbouring countries.
“I sometimes see over 50 cases when my colleagues somewhere else attend to just six in a day. We see patients even while sweating because of the blackout in the city that has lasted for over 11 months and we run the generator for hours.”
“You can count the number of doctors. And for the common illness here, chronic kidney disease, how many consultant nephrologists do we have? But we still have to attend to people.
“I can tell you this administration has done very well in upgrading the hospital; construction all over the hospital like the kidney and trauma centres. The number of beds has increased, you can see now in addition to the emergency unit. Sometimes you would see the CMD move around in the night, at 1:00, to see things are done correctly.
“Let us tell you the truth, we need more manpower, many are leaving for overseas and we can’t stop them but the problem is to replace them, at times, it takes more than a year.
I think it is unfair for people to label us as arrogant; if any of our staff misbehaves, report them to us. I can assure you that appropriate disciplinary measures will be taken; we did it before.”
Prof. Kida noted that in November 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari, although directed by the Head of Service of the Federation and the Budget Office, was urged to consider an increase in allocation for personnel and employment of additional staff at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) but that it is yet to be done.
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