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Offa General Hospital Reacts To Biztellers’ Exposé, Says We Are Working With ODU, UITH On “Acute Shortage Of Manpower”
GemeDr. Mohammed Olabisi Abdulsalam, the Chief Medical Director of General Hospital in Offa, Kwara State, has reacted to a viral exposé that elucidated the hospital is engulfed in lack of equipment, manpower, professionalism and lackadaisical attitudes.
The exposé titled “Offa General Hospital: A Beautiful Place To Die” was written by Jimoh Taofik Adekunle, a correspondent of biztellers.com.ng and published on Tuesday, December 13, 2022.
In a statement on Friday, December 16, 2022, Dr. Abdulsalam dismissed the piece, saying it does not in any way represent the true state of the hospital.
He said: “no doubt it’s been a torrid time for us at General hospital, Offa trying to manage the social media war being waged against the facility in the last few days. Silence on this matter in the court of public opinion may be viewed to mean admittance.
“But as a civil servant, it requires patience and resilience, hence the delay in response to the unfortunate submission.
“While admitting the fact that every establishment should be open to criticism for its growth and development, constructive and objective criticism should have been more ideal than the submission made by the blogger.
“Not shying away from the fact that there are obvious challenges that is not limited to our facility, affecting quality service provision, the story written by the blogger does not in any way represent the true state of the hospital.
“As humans, we all know death is an inevitable thing which will happen at any time no matter what anyone does. What is not acceptable by any standard as professionals is deaths occurring due to professional negligence.
“It’s really alarming for anyone to come up with a caption as “General hospital, Offa, a beautiful place to die .” For a facility whose overall mortality for the year 2022 running is for the records 0.2% (70 out of 59,112 patients seen so far this year) despite all the daring challenges, I will say the position of the writer is very unfair, unjustified and one with a motive best known to the alarmist of a journalist.
“Also for the records, the total live births for the year running is 1060 with only 3 stillbirths recorded. Maternal deaths recorded so far this year is 5 out of 1048 mothers who delivered in the facility. No single death of anyone of our patient in a sane clime should be celebrated but with what we are faced with, the staff deserve commendation and not condemnation.”
He however admitted that the hospital lacks required manpower. “The fact remains that there is acute shortage of manpower amongst other challenges, putting much pressure on the system with high expectations for quality services which anyone will crave for, from the population that we serve.”
Dr. Abdulsalam added that he has been working with Professor Olatinwo AbdulWaheed, the Offa Descendants Union (ODU) National Health Committee Chairman on staff attrition and partnership with University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) for postings of residents, as well as other areas of concern that will help scale up quality service delivery in the hospital.
He subsequently appealed for calm, understanding and support from all stakeholders towards getting things right.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja on Sunday, January 26, 2025, to participate in the Africa Heads of State Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The two-day summit, scheduled for January 27-28, 2025, is aimed at advancing “Mission 300,” a pan-African initiative to provide electricity to 300 million people across the continent by 2030.
Hosted by the Tanzanian government in collaboration with the African Development Bank Group and the World Bank, the summit will bring together African leaders, private sector stakeholders, development partners, and civil society organizations.
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The goal is to develop strategies for accelerating energy access in underserved regions, increasing renewable energy adoption, and mobilizing private sector investment.
According to a statement released on Saturday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President, the summit will serve as a platform for sharing expertise, knowledge, and resources to address Africa’s energy challenges.
The first day of the summit will feature ministerial-level discussions, during which participating nations, including Nigeria, will present their national energy strategies, or “compacts,” detailing their plans to achieve universal energy access within five years.
On the second day, African Heads of State will sign the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration, a unified roadmap for achieving the goals of Mission 300.
President Tinubu is expected to deliver a national statement reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to universal energy access and its leadership role in the continent’s energy sector.
He will also highlight Nigeria’s ongoing clean energy initiatives and integrated energy delivery strategies aimed at fostering sustainable development across Africa.
Accompanying the president will be key government officials, including Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, and Special Adviser to the President on Energy Olu Verheijen.
President Tinubu is set to return to Abuja immediately after the summit concludes.
The menace of illegal migration is getting diplomatic attention from the Italian authorities and the Edo State Government.
The Chief Press Secretary to Edo State Governor, Fred Itua divulged this in a government house statement issued in Benin City on Saturday.
He explained that the Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Edesili Anani had expressed the readiness of the Governor, Monday Okpebholo-led administration to tackle the menace of irregular migration among youths in the state.
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It was gathered that Anani made the stance public on Friday in Government House, Benin City, when Dr. Alberto Cilala, a consultant to the European Union and President of Mattei Africa for Humanitarian Aids Initiative in Italy, led a delegation to her office.
Welcoming the delegation, she highlighted the importance of collaboration to address the challenges posed by irregular migration.
The Coordinator expressed her gratitude to the delegation, and emphasized the transformative impact the partnership will bring to Edo State.
In her words, “This initiative will reduce unemployment, create job opportunities, and address human trafficking and irregular migration. It will also enhance education, skills acquisition, agricultural investment, and infrastructural development for our people.”
On his part, Dr. Cilala emphasized that the Mattei Plan would provide valuable skills to Edo State residents, including tailoring, furniture-making, shoemaking, and more.
“The Mattei Plan was launched by the Italian Government with a focus on six key sectors: education and training, health, security, agriculture, and renewable energy. The goal is to promote integrated development and improve living conditions, particularly in rural areas.
“These projects will be fully funded by the Italian Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Labour,” he stated.
Former Senior Special Assistant to the Edo State Government on Anti-Human Trafficking and Irregular Migration, Solomon Okoduwa, in his remarks, said the Mattei Plan prioritizes practical measures to reduce irregular migration and human trafficking.
“Although nine African countries are involved in this initiative, Edo State is a crucial partner for Italy. This partnership will strengthen bilateral relations under the leadership of His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo,” he said.
Brand Ambassador of the Mattei Plan, Olorogun John Paul, popularly known as Daddy Showkey was at the event and lauded the initiative.
He noted, “This program provides an opportunity for Edo State beneficiaries to gain training in various skills, equipping them for sustainable livelihoods.”
Supporters of the impeached Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, on Saturday morning stormed the Speaker’s Lodge located at 47 Joel Ogunnaike Street, GRA Ikeja, Lagos.
The supporters, dressed in pro-Obasa vests and caps, arrived in large numbers at the premises.
According to multiple sources, the group was planning a “heroic welcome” for the former Speaker, who was recently removed from office by a majority of lawmakers in the House.
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Obasa, who was out of the country at the time of his impeachment, was replaced by the former deputy speaker, Mojisola Meranda.
Since her emergence as Speaker, Meranda has presided over two sittings, with Obasa absent from both.
The choice of the Speaker’s Lodge as the location for Obasa’s supposed welcome sparked controversy, as he is no longer officially entitled to the property following his removal.
A resident in the area expressed surprise over the situation, saying, “I didn’t expect that the lodge would be opened for them.”
Armed security personnel, including police officers, were deployed to the area to maintain order and prevent any potential disruption.
As of the time of filing this report, Obasa had yet to arrive at the lodge.
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