Like a number of other tertiary health institutions in Nigeria, the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, has faced condemnations for the services it offers. Being the first teaching and research health centre in the country, many see the institution as the major hope of saving Nigeria from its perennial health crisis.
However, poor facilities, lateness in the release of medical examinations and occasional unavailability of medical experts to attend to patients have affected the image of the hospital.
Well, the image of the hospital may have changed at least for a special category of patients. The hospital is operating a special unit where the best service - medical and otherwise - is extended to patients.
However, the management of the hospital, told NEXT that ignorance on the part of patients is one of the greatest problems facing it as ell as others like it.
Christiana Ajala, head, Private Suite at the UCH, said the hospital was originally established to cater for secondary and tertiary health care, which essentially involves research and training. Regrettably, she said patients now see it as a provider of primary health care.
Mrs. Ajala said the desire to redeem the image of the hospital by providing the kind of medical service that people go abroad for, led to the establishment of the Private Suites.
A hospital unlike others
Unlike in general wards of the hospital where patients are provided with beds in big halls, patients in the Private Suites are allocated a room each. The room is fully furnished with separate toilet, bath and other conveniences, including fitted air-conditioner.
The rooms also have television set with access to cable television stations. Internet facility and other comforts made available for the occupants.
Mrs. Ajala said the management of the hospital has provided all the comforts to meet its desired dream of creating a ‘clinical hotel' within the hospital to provide the kind of health care services people are travelling abroad for.
From the main entrance of the suite, the aura of a ‘hotel' was evidence. It has its separate reception, a waiting room, and well kept corridor.
The uniqueness of the suite is not limited to the beauty of the edifice it occupies. It is the recipient of the services of the hospital's best medical experts. While patients in the general wards would have to take samples of medical tests to the laboratories and go back later for result, all these are done for the ‘special' patients by the hospital staff.
Peju Are, daughter of one of the patients, said she could not believe the kind of services being rendered at the suite. "This is completely different from the usual UCH I know, where you will have to wait endlessly for the doctors before they attend to you. About six doctors attend to my mum every day. Nurses come to check her almost every 30 minutes. In fact the service is superb", she said.
But the superb services do not come cheap. The suites are indeed exclusively for the affluent. Perhaps, this is why the management prefers to address the patients admitted in the Private Suites as ‘clients'. The management says people still rush to pay for the service despite the cost.
Mrs. Ajala said since 2005, when former President Olusegun Obasanjo commissioned the place, there has been tremendous increase in patronage.
"For now, we have up to 50 percent patronage despite the restriction on advertisement placed on health care centres", she said.
NEXT learnt that business mogul, high profile politicians, important traditional rulers and other people who desire complete health care form the core of the patrons.
Adeniyi Adenipekun, chairman, Medical Advisory Committee for the UCH, said besides providing the health care services that is available only in the western world, the Private Suites was also established to boost the internally generated revenue of the hospital, adding that both objectives have been achieved to a large extent.
According to him, the management has invested heavily on the suites to give value for the money collected from the patrons. A power generating set is dedicated to the section to solve the problem of incessant power failure. Also it has a direct link with the water treatment plant for complete access to potable water.
Teething problems
One of the challenges of the suites, according to Mrs. Ajala is the problem of bureaucracy. This has slowed down the operation of the suites, she added.
"You know this is a government-owned institution, due processes are observed in all things. As much as we cannot say things should not be done the proper way, I hope that if this place enjoy a modicum of autonomy, it will bring about better efficiency", she said.
She expressed the hope that the suite will soon have a purpose-built structure, designed especially for the purposes it serves, as well as special staff of its own. The structure being used was a converted abandoned building, while most of the staff are on contract.
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