Prof. Darlington Obaseki, Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), says he is leaving the institution better than he met it.
He stated this during a press briefing held on Thursday in Benin, shortly after a tour of projects executed during his eight-year tenure as CMD.
News Men reports that Obaseki’s tenure, which began in 2017, will officially end on Aug. 17.
According to him, 90 per cent of the strategic goals set at the beginning of his administration were successfully achieved.
Obaseki described industrial harmony as his greatest achievement, noting that peace prevailed between management and unions throughout his tenure.
“Our greatest achievement is that we never experienced a single day of workers’ strike in eight years,” the CMD revealed.
He explained that mutual respect among all staff, both junior and senior, was key to maintaining harmony across all departments within the institution.
“I am proud to say that I am leaving UBTH much better than I met it eight years ago,” Obaseki said.
He emphasised that his administration focused on emergency medicine, especially the remodeling and digitisation of the hospital’s accident and emergency section.
According to him, the section now includes a digitalised blood bank, laboratory, and theater system that operate with increased efficiency.
Obaseki also said that the hospital now enjoyed 24-hour power supply and uninterrupted internet via weather-resistant fiber optic technology.
The CMD said UBTH’s inpatient and outpatient wards were fully remodeled and equipped with modern medical tools and technology.
He added that communication systems in all hospital wards were upgraded through digitalisation to improve internal efficiency.
He highlighted that the hospital now had three working CT scanners, decentralised pharmacy services, and multiple payment points.
Obaseki also spoke about the newly inaugurated oncology center, describing it as one of his most cherished projects.
He noted that the center would begin operations in September following intensive training for personnel managing the radiation equipment.
On hospital statistics, Obaseki revealed that UBTH treated 1,500 outpatients daily and over 300,000 patients every year.
According to him, the hospital receives an average of 500 inpatients daily and handles 70 emergency cases referred from six states.
He said: “referrals come from Delta, Ondo, Bayelsa, Kogi, Lagos, and Abuja due to UBTH’s regional healthcare reputation.”
He lamented that health workers in UBTH were overwhelmed by patient load due to the collapsed healthcare system in Edo.
“I have done my part. I need rest. If called upon again, I will gladly contribute to healthcare development in the state,” he added.
Obaseki concluded by noting that funding remained a major challenge, disclosing that Health Management Organisations owed UBTH over N500 million currently.
