The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has been commended over his insistence and prompt release of approvals for massive capital projects at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, the Abia State capital.
The Medical Director of the FMC Umuahia, Prof. Azubuike Onyebuchi, handed down this commendation in Umuahia on Friday during an end-of-year parley he had with the staff and management of the centre.
He stated that the President has made possible the prompt release of capital funds to the centre, “hence the massive infrastructural development of FMC Umuahia and the environment looking clean”.
He added, “I thank the President for insisting that funds for capital development must be released.
“I also thank the state Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu for building 1 km road inside FMC, Umuahia, and the Federal Ministry of Health and its Board for being supporters of the good things that are happening at the FMC, Umuahia.
“I thank the senator representing Abia central, Theodore Orji, for assisting FMC Umuahia through his constituency project fund to build our multi-purpose hall and CONNAK foundation for building a park for us, as well as other foundations and rich individuals for coming to pay bills of indigent patients.”
The professor cited an instance where a traditional ruler, who chose to be anonymous, paid bills amounting to nearly N2 million for indigent patients.
He disclosed that such expenses like electricity bills still pose as challenge to the centre, especially as cost of electricity bills has sky rocked, adding that the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company bill payable this December was N10 million as against former N3 million to N4 million.
“We are also looking for a way of cutting down on our cost of governance/administration”, he said, and thanked God for His grace upon the centre.
He assured the staff that that he will look into the issues of conversion in other to motivate the staff, adding “I don’t want people to feel cheated”.
The MD, however, warned frontline staff over their attitude to patients, which he said “is becoming too much” as the complaints are everywhere, even at the streets and described it as “real”, advising that most times, patients at the emergency sections are “jittery and panicking”, and should be shown empathy.
The parley was concluded with a short exhortation by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Umuahia chaplain, RT. Rev. Kalu Kalu Okoroafor, on the need for people to be grateful to God.
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