• Opens first ‘world class’ trauma centre

THE Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, Monday said the National Hospital and 11 others were currently being studied by a team for a possible Public Private Partnership (PPP) management model.

  This was disclosed yesterday by the minister as the Federal Government commissioned Nigeria’s first trauma centre four years after it conceived the idea.

  The National Trauma Centre, described by President Goodluck Jonathan as ‘world class’, was completed at a cost put at N900 million, and is a full-fledged hospital within the National Hospital, Abuja, and would hopefully provide comprehensive emergency medical services to patients suffering from traumatic injuries as a result of accidents.

  In a speech read on his behalf by Vice President Namadi Sambo, President Goodluck Jonathan stressed how the Centre would provide the highest level of trauma management for severally injured patients, in a timely and cost effective manner.

  He explained: “Trauma Centres are critical components of a nation’s healthcare delivery system. They provide resources and equipment to deliver the full range of specialist care needed by severally injured patients, and also maintain co-ordination with other facilities where the need for complementary expertise may be indicated.”

  The President said the nation’s National Strategic Health Development Plan would keep motivating local health manpower and encouraging Nigerian health experts based in abroad to return home, “hence bringing quality care closer to more of our people. And reducing the depletion of scarce foreign exchange, due medical tourism.”

  He further said: “Over the last three years, our health care system has seen major improvements. We have invested heavily in strengthening human resources by scaling up the Midwives Service Scheme (MSS), by providing additional health facilities and instituting the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) component of SURE-P.

  “We are also modernising medical diagnostics and upgrading several tertiary healthcare facilities to meet the standard existing in those countries where Nigerians seek foreign medical treatment. We have also progressively improved healthcare financing and priority interventions.”

  The minister said Chairman of the Governing Board of National Hospital, Tony Okam, requested a separate budget line for the Centre, ‘as is the practice worldwide.’ This, he stressed, would guaranty routine provision of quality services.

  He further said: “The National Hospital Abuja Level One Trauma Centre has an active resuscitation area, made up of 10 trolleys, five of them with oxylox ventilators with a section for the walking injured. There is also a full complement of equipment for radiological services, including full body low dose x-ray (lodox) for quick screening of patients with poly-trauma, which is the first of its kind in West Africa; 64 slice CT scanner; digital conventional x-Ray; ultra sound scan for fast examination.”

 “The Centre has full complement of central air conditioning system, lift to ease movement, as well as helipad for emergency transfer of patients via ambulance ready for use along with functional telecommunication facilities, constant power supply and treated water. It is worthwhile to note that the helipad facility is the first of its kind in any Nigerian health institution and it had already been test-run.”

  “The upgrading/renovation of the general outpatient department, new paediatrics ward, medical ward and building of the Centre for radiation medicine, as well as the ongoing ward expansion projects, will appreciably increase the hospital holding capacity (bed space) to 500”, he added.