Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Ltd has commissioned a twin-operating theatre suite in Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) in fulfilment of its hospital support programme and intervention in the general challenges of surgical operations in the hospital.
Speaking at the commissioning yesterday, NLNG General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Andy Odeh, said through their intervention, many hospitals/health institutions have taken new shapes and forms, and by extension, the health sector has been boosted.
He said the twin theatre was to meet the health needs of people of the state as well as those from other parts of the country whom the hospital serves, adding that they arrived at the decision to construct a theatre along with JUTH, and in relation to a key area of need of the hospital.
The general manager reiterated that the project was conceived following a thorough needs assessment that highlighted the long waitlist for surgical procedures as a priority area that requires urgent attention.
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Despite having available medical professionals to carry out procedures, he said, the number of available operating theatres in relation to the patient population was a limitation.
Odeh further explained that the NLNG Hospital Support Programme at JUTH was therefore aimed to shorten the waiting period with the construction and equipping of the twin theatre suite, in order to increase the operating capacity of JUTH.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom, said the Management of the NLNG has performed creditably well in the commitment to the provision of the state-of-the-art fully equipped facility to JUTH.
Daju, who represented the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, said it, therefore, behoves the management of JUTH to jealously guard the facility, adding that they must regularly and consistently monitor and evaluate its use to ensure prompt maintenance, for improved quality care for the citizens that would require the use of the facility.
“As part of efforts to reverse our ugly health care indices, and to actualize the renewed hope agenda of Mr President, the Federal Ministry of Health, under the leadership of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, has commenced implementation of its four-point agenda of the health sector, which is: Improve governance, improve population health outcome, unlocking healthcare value chain and to provide health security for all Nigerians.
“Therefore, the government remains committed to working with the private sector like NLNG and other stakeholders which also includes our development partners to ensure continued investment that will lead to the provision of quality, accessible and affordable health care for all citizens,” she added.
The Chief Medical Director, Dr Pokop Bupwatda, said the theatre is a massive life-changing project that will take JUTH further in offering qualitative healthcare services to the teeming population that come there for healthcare services.
The CMD said the journey of the twin theatre project began with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Transcorp Hilton, Hotel Abuja, early in 2023, between the NLNG and JUTH, as well as other selected federal teaching hospitals.
He also said they have other challenges with respect to rejuvenation of some structures and other facilities/equipment, and that they will also require intervention in those areas.
Plateau State governor, Caleb Mutfwang, who commissioned the twin theatre, said it was a laudable project that would boost the health services of the institution to meet up with its patients’ needs.
The governor said as a patient some years back in the hospital, he knew how the hospital used to labour to meet the needs of the teeming population, and so such intervention is needed at all times.
Mutfwang said the health sector is very dear to his administration because of its importance to any society, adding that one of his key projects will be the revitalization of the health sector, particularly the Plateau Specialist Hospital which has some buildings that require reconstruction because they have been there for many decades now.
Meanwhile, the JUTH twin theatre consists of two operating theatre suites, two scrub rooms, two preparation rooms with storage, a recovery room, conveniences, a linen room, a dirty utility room and, male and female changing rooms.
