Maduako Igbokwe l Monday, January 25, 2021
ONITSHA, Anambra, Nigeria – The Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, CMAC, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, NAUTH, Nnewi, Anambra State, Dr. Joseph Ugboaja, has taken over as the Acting Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital. He took over from Prof Anthony Iguegbe, whose tenure ended on Monday, January 25 2021.
The ceremony, which took place at the temporary site of the hospital in Nnewi, was witnessed by chairman of hospital board, Chief Izekiel Iramiya; represented by a staff of the hospital, Mrs Rosemary Okeighazi; Deputy CMAC, Dr Ugochukwu Ezejiofor; Head of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Chinyelu Onwuka; Head of Accounts, Mrs V.C Nduka; Head of Works, Mrs Pamela Ohanaja; among others.
In his acceptance speech, Dr. Ugboaja described the task ahead as enormous ; assuring that he would give it all his energies to make it work.
“It is an enormous responsibility; but we are not afraid; because, we have been in the management level in the past seven years. But we need the support of all because we cannot do it alone. As we go into work, we have three cardinal agenda: Infrastructural development, staff training and acquisition of equipment. This administration would apply pubic/private model in driving the affairs of the hospital, since government cannot do it alone. Our vision is to rank as the top five teaching hospitals in Nigeria,” he said.
Dr. Ugbaja, a Consultant Optomologist and Gynecologist, served four years as Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee between 2013 and 2017, and Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, from 2017 till his recent appointment as Acting CMD.
According to him, he was going to seek the cooperation of all the critical stakeholders of the hospital to turn around the teaching hospital.
‘I am going to ask the critical stakeholders to support the move to transform the hospital to become one of the best in the country. We need infrastructure to move the hospital forward as the NAUTH cannot be best within the present small environment. That is why we making every efforts to move to the permanent site.
“We also need to develop our human capital resource to effectively handle the challenges of 21th century in the medical setting. We must train and retrain our staff for the challenges ahead of transforming the hospital” he said. According to him, within the next few weeks or months NAUTH will be sending her staff for training in and outside the organization.
He also said that the management would be strict on the enforcement of discipline in the organization as the management cannot tolerate laziness and ineptitude in the hospital.
” We are going to come up with measures that would reward productivity and punish ineffectiveness and laziness. People must sit up because we want a situation where patient who come in for treatment in the hospital will leave with happiness and praise the hospital” he said.
He also disclosed that the management was going to strengthen the SERVICOM Department and identify those who are not working in line with the management directive.
“As part of measure to improve on our services, we are going to give our staff name tags that they must hang on their necks and we will use the name tag to monitor operations, ”he said.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, the outgone CMD Iguegbe, said Dr Ugboaja, being his direct deputy, was taking over from him on acting capacity.
“Dr. Ugboaja is taking over because he is my direct deputy. So, based on seniority, he will be acting until substantive CMD is elected. The process of electing substantive CMD of NAUTH is on. When the person comes, he will take over as substantive CMD.
“Meanwhile, construction and movement to the permanent site is ongoing. A lot has been done there, and I urge the Acting CMD to work hard to ensure that the vision of mobilising as much departments and equipment as possible to the permanent site is realised,” he advised.
