By Ado Hassan, Sokoto
With the rapid provision of basic infrastructural facilities in the last 3 and a half years at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Kware, Sokoto state, it will by the end of 2020 attain the status of a standard psychiatric hospital capable of competing with the best .
The Chief Medical Director, Dr. Shehu Sani disclosed in a chat with reporters in Sokoto on Wednesday that the hospital has significantly improved in call and services with proportionate increase in patients load due to existing facilities.
” The hospital has established a family and NHIS clinic for patients with other ailments.
According to Sani who is an Associate Professor, said a lot of renovations and upgrade of existing and provision of new facilities had been recorded.
He stated that he met the hospital in a dilapidated condition with most of the facilities in bad shape.
” Most of the structures were an eye sore especially the wards. I met pit latrines as toilet. All these have been reversed to further equip the facility to serve the public better.
He continued ,” there were virtually no functional utilities. Infact, the hospital was then the least funded of the 8 psychiatric hospitals we have across the country”, he explained.
However, the CMD said his mission and vision for the hospital inspired his spirit to face the basic areas of challenge in order to address the decaying infrastructure as well staff requirements. ” I made frantic efforts through letters to appropriate quarters which yielded positive results to change the narratives.
” We have to gear up by departing from the short in facilities to having more and functional facilities with financial prudence . Today we have 7 laboratories with 17 scientists and 6 additional laboratory assistance as against only one at inception as CMD.
” We have also renovated and connected all the wards with light to a habitable state and improved on the quality and quantity of food die to the nature of the patients. “
Accordingly , Sani said the hospital can currently boast of 15 visiting consultants with 34 nursing staff to complement the services needed by patients. I inherited only 11 Doctors but now we have 33 .
” We have renovated our staff quarters and got a special intervention which enabled networking of the abandoned 3km access road within the hospital complex by FERMA including the 2km parameter fencing of the facility to secure the hospital’s land area respectively.”
He said the hospital which also doubles as an institution of learning has recorded tremendous success in academic and intellectual excellence with improvement in intake as well performance .
” It has all requirements to compete favourably in this area. We have the best record of performance in 2018 with 98% success in examinations”, disclosed the CMD.
Though, pointed out that the hospital has been battling with the fundamental challenges of inadequate and lack of stable supplies of water and light utilities needed to serve the facility.
” The challenge of hostel distance to staff is also worrisome.
” We also need boreholes and constant electricity supplies. The use of diesel has drastically increased even as we operate at zero IGR level but had since
opened a tender bid for the street light project.
” We have little over head to service our needs”, he cried out while commending the FG for its focus and support to the hospital towards the realisation of the lofty development and successes.
The CMD also acknowledged the purposeful commitment of Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal for lifting the hospital’s status with the provision of Ambulance and other critical medical equipment .
” I must also recognise Representative Ahmed Kalambaina for his contribution to the hospital facility.”
Meanwhile, Sardauna Memorial College, Kaduna, Alma mata of the CMD and the Kware Youth Association respectively presented him with awards for meritoriously serving humanity with passion.
The brief ceremony was performed in his office with the hospital management staff in attendance .
