Yemi Adurotoye takes a glimpse at KWASUTH’s Establishment as it’s Set to Take-Off
Kwara State is, no doubt, becoming a medical hub in the North-Central geopolitical subregion of Nigeria. Kwara State University Teaching Hospital is the new addition to the existing healthcare facilities, fast-pacing the state towards acquiring the medical hub status. The medical facilities are complimented by pharmaceutical production companies that are of world class in standard.
Some of the medical facilities include the high-flying University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Kwara Advanced Diagnostic Centre. In the pharmaceutical production category, the state is proud of Tuyil Pharmaceutical Industries, Peace Standard Pharmaceutical, Biomedical Industry, Bioraj Pharmaceutical, HMA Medicals, Bond Chemical, Ayodele Pharnaceutical and others. In addition to the above, there are dozen of secondary graded hospitals, many primary healthcare centres and pocket of privately owned diagnostic facilities all over the state.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on May 30, 2024, signed Kwara State University Teaching Hospital, otherwise known as KWASUTH, Establishment Bill into Law. The other facilitative take-off arrangements made for the teaching hospital was the release of former Ilorin General Hospital by the State’s Ministry of Health to Kwara State University management for the purpose of its teaching hospital. The site confers on the teaching hospital a location’s advantage. Its proximity to the residents in the state capital, makes it easily accessible.
KWASUTH is an arm of KWASU’s Medical Institution which engage in training of medical students and health professionals as well as offering wider range of medical services. Understandably, the university had commenced medical programme about two years ago. Hence, the medical students wouldn’t have to go elsewhere for clinical training component of their course.
The birth of KWASUTH demonstrates the governor’s commitment to the delivery of purposeful health programmes by his administration. His concerns are directed towards caring for the people on all fronts. AA, as the governor is fondly called, is not relenting in creating and building the wealth of the state by supporting Kwarans with good health system, a pointer to his understanding of the import of the maxim: “health is wealth.”
Speaking at the public hearing ahead of the passing of the Bill by the Kwara State House of Assembly, the State’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina Ahmed El-Imam affirmed the essence for which the institution is needed, assuring that the teaching hospital shall produce highly competent medical professionals that can compete with their counterparts across the globe. She said it was part of the comprehensive health agenda being implemented by the present administration.
L-R: Clerk Kwara State House of Assembly (KWHA) Hon. Kareem Ahmed Olayiwola; Majority Leader KWHA Hon. Oba Magaji AbdulKadir; Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (CON); Speaker KWHA Rt. Hon. Yakubu Salihu Danladi and Special Adviser on Special Duties, Alhaji Abdulrazaq Jiddah during the signing of the Kwara State University Teaching Hospital (Establishment) Law at Government House, Ilorin.
She expressed no doubt that the university teaching hospital will be filled with competent hands who would help in the realization of the set objectives even as she assured that the Governor is ready to support with the needed resources.
Professor Salihu Moyosore Ajao, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Kwara State University represented KWASU’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Lukman Shaykh-Lukman Alade Jimoh to contribute to the Public Hearing. He commended the governor’s initiative for deeming it fit to favourably consider the establishment of teaching hospital for KWASU.
Professor Ajao, a former Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Unilorin chapter, who is on leave at KWASU, promised that KWASU management will brace up to make judicious use of the opportunity by grooming competent doctors and other medical professionals as part of the institution’s human capital development mandate and also deliver to people incomparable health services and superlative treatments.
Despite the many inequalities in health care access, great strides have been made in improving people’s health in recent years. Globally, 146 out of 200 countries or areas have already met or are on track to meet the SDG target of Goal-5 (mortality). Effective HIV treatment has cut global AIDS-related deaths by 52 per cent since 2010 and at least one neglected tropical disease has been eliminated in 47 countries.
Establishing KWASUTH is, for the state government, an increased investment in health systems, which is needed to address long-standing shortfall in manpower development in the health sector. It will specifically cater for the grooming of competent professionals to manage the various health institutions in the state and beyond. The state government therefore needs to further compliment the institution’s creation by addressing the shortcomings which has to do with shortage of well equipped facilities where the services of the products of the teaching hospital will be productively engaged.
KWASUTH creation is right step towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) – 3, which is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. It is aimed at achieving universal health coverage, and provide access to safe and affordable medicines and vaccines for all, which in essence remains a bold commitment to end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other communicable diseases by 2030.
KWASU management has unveiled KWASUTH Logo and mounted its signboard to the excitement of the people across the length and breadth of the state. It is coming barely two months after signing of the bill establishing the university teaching hospital.
The university teaching hospital will soon commence full operations. Assuredly, it shall kickstart a new dimension in the exploration of teaching, research and community service in health related issues for the benefit of humanity. Patronage is expected form within and outside the state.
For Kwarans, it’s a new dawn in the health care delivery sector, a step in the right direction. It is an answer for competent manpower needed for Nigeria to overcome the setbacks and build resilience against future health threats.
