What do hospitals symbolise? The answer to this question may not be far-fetched. It cannot be something outside the operational mandate of the hospital, hence hope and healing naturally come to mind. It’s however far beyond that. Hospitals in the depth of their symbolism stand for love. Love for humanity. No where love hovers like the hospital where one sees the best of human compassion and empathy for fellow humans, as everyone gets involved to get stories rewritten from anguish and agony to healing and happiness.
The National Hospital is no different in this regard, but definitely different in its onerous determination to attain the status of national heritage through irrevocable commitment to its founding vision and mission, as well as breath taking strides leading to expansions of infrastructure, state-of-the-art facilities, manpower and resourcefulness in multi disciplinary healthcare delivery services. Little wonder the hospital metamorphosed from National Hospital for Women and Children to National Hospital, to reflect its expanded status and scope of healthcare coverages.
It is now 25 years since the establishment of the institution via Decree 36 of 1999. Its conception and projects commencement however predated the passage of the validating legal instrument. It was an initiative of the Family Support Programme of the then First Lady of Nigeria, Dr Maryam Sani Abacha. The Abacha regime was credited for the expansive hospital structure with its commanding presence, situated at the Central Business Area, Garki in the nation’s pride capital.
Twenty-five years of the NHA are not best counted by the passage in time, but rather, by accomplishments within the years, in terms of deliveries of infrastructures, facilities, man power, and most importantly, uncommon medical tasks that bring honour and glory to the hospital, and therefore change public perceptions of hospital.
This journey that began with basic care for women and children got snowballed to interesting complex heights where human heads are cut open, their brains worked on and fixed up with clinical precision.
From a staff strength of about 500 at inception in 1999 to current workforce of about 2,500 with about 200 of them certified consultants and 500 nurses and host of other categories of medical professionals, the journey has been eventful.
The National Trauma Centre epitomises a fit of excellence in Nigerian medical success stories. A level A facility, the first and the best of its kind in Nigeria, the centre is one of the many other home-grown initiatives of the National Hospital born in response to contemporary medical challenges in Nigeria.
The Cancer centre of the National Hospital is another turning point in the management of cancer, one of the most debilitating health challenges the world over. Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and medical professionals that are worth their salt, the centre has brought to the fore the consciousness and assurances that cancer is after all not a death sentence.
The resourcefulness of the National Hospital is perhaps better appreciated by zooming in on the individual capacities of its work force. Celebrated instances include the prolific endowment of the present Chief Medical Director, Prof Muhammad Raji Mahmud who happened to be the first neurosurgeon of African extraction, and the youngest in the world to chair the World Federation of Neurosurgical Society. He pioneered the Neurosurgical department in the National Hospital and nurtured it to a status of pride in service to humanity. Little wonder, when vacancy arose for the headship of the hospital, a keen contest was witnessed and to the credit of meritorious service the neurosurgeon per excellence emerged the winner.
The fragmentation initiative resulting in separation of neurosurgery, orthopaedic and trauma to independent units from each other has redefined operations across the units, leading to high level of operational efficiency and result focused service to patients.
The same heartfelt success stories have been and still being institutionalised across Psychiatry, Nuclear Physics and Family medicine departments. All that matters in ensuring multiplier effects of efficiency has remained the watchword of the National Hospital.
The In-vitro Fertilisation unit is yet another pride of place in the history of the National Hospital. Apart from being the first and the cheapest in any public hospital in Nigeria, the success stories arising therefrom have been greatly encouraging and deeply pleasing to clients that keep patronising the hospital for IVF services.
These and many unsung successes of the NHA are testament of excellent synergy between humans and machines translating to glory of healthcare coverages. The hospital prides itself to the machinery resources it has in stock for service of the people. Talk of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computer Tomography Scan for radio diagnostics purposes, Linear Accelerator (LINAC) with Simulator for efficiency in cancer treatment, 24/7 Haemodialysis services, and Cardiothoracic Surgery equipment leading to the first success story of inserting Pacemaker for a sick heart as well as Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine for diagnosis of infections at bio-molecular level and host of others, collectively put the NHA in a class of its own.
These all together mark out the National Hospital for a merited celebration of its Silver Jubilee.
Adamu is with the Information and Protocol Management Department of the National Hospital.
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