The management of the UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, Osogbo has denied media report that the hospital is sick and dying, saying that the report was false, unfounded, baseless and aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the hospital.
In a statement by the head, Corporate Affairs department of the hospital, Christie Oyewole, the hospital said the unconfirmed malicious report was aimed at disreputing the institution by some disgruntled elements who are enemies of the good works taking place in the health institution.
The statement reads “Our attention has been drawn to the report published in a national newspaper , dated 16th September, 2024 and titled “Osun University Teaching Hospital: Sick, dying, prostrate”.
“This is a malicious, false, sadistic and outrageous conspiracy intended to damage the image of UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital by the sponsors of the report.
“It is disheartening and disturbing that after having a robust interview with the stakeholders in the health care services in the state with Special Adviser on Public Health, and the Chief Medical Director of UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, with the explanation on the positive impacts the teaching hospital has made on training and care of the people of the state, the reporter can turn around to put up such a negative report which we see as a deliberate and intentional attempt to defame the hospital by the sponsors.
“By every standard, UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital is professionally held in high esteem by its contemporaries with the level of basic and essential equipments for clinical services and training services available.
“It is on this premise that the hospital has been accredited and consistently reaccredited by various professional bodies for undergraduate training for Medical doctors (MBBS), Nursing science (BSN), Medical Laboratory Science (MLS), Physiotherapy, Radiology and School of Post Basic Paediatric Nursing which has benefitted Osun State University, the mother University as well as many of the universities around.
“Most of the hospital’s specialty training programmes are fully accredited by West African Post Graduate College and National Post Graduate Medical College for doctors’ post graduate training.
“Indeed, our postgraduate trainees have done excellently well at their examinations with many of them being employed both within the hospital, in the country and outside Nigeria as consultants in various disciplines. Indeed, various accreditation team from different centres and specialties have continued to praise the efforts of the government for the support to the hospital and the management for putting the hospital at the forefront of health care delivery, training and research in Nigeria. This could not have happened to a moribund hospital, a picture painted by the writer and his sponsors.
“While no hospital can boast of having it all, UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital is rated highly in essential medical services deliveries, training and research. It is on record that the hospital is the anchor to private hospitals both within and outside Osun State in the provision of quality human and material medical support services expected of a tertiary health institution.
“The hospital’s gate has remained widely opened to millions of patients for care over the years without interruption and is always full to capacity. Such an institution cannot be said to be providing less than optimal care. Indeed the federal government has accredited our emergency unit as one of the few that takes care of emergency on behalf of the federal government.
“The shortage of medical personnel is a national problem but the Governor has given permission to replace health professionals as they leave the system. The Governor of the state, Senator Ademola Adeleke has also ensured that whatever is paid at the federal teaching hospital should be paid by UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital. He has therefore approved the payment of hazard allowances as well as residency training fund which has tremendously reduced movement of our staff to Federal institutions.
“While some units are being closed down in some teaching hospitals due to lack of staff, UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital has continued to maintain existing structures and even adding more. Thanks to our dedicated staff who continue to work differently.
“The government of the state is also working hard at ensuring that facilities in the hospital continue to improve. This is a regular and continuous process.
Uniosun Teaching Hospital is a tertiary health care institution and will not operate below that standard for any reason.
“Rather than pulling down an institution as requested by the sponsors of this report, Mr. Dada should join us in appealing to well meaning Nigerians and organisations in joining hands with the government of the day to ensure the system continue to improve.
“We therefore invite all well meaning Nigerians to discountenance the write up by Mr. Dada cum Sun newspaper and connect to our social media handles for clarifications on any matter of concern about UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital,” the statement added.
