THE University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, UUTH, is one of the few hospitals in the country that offers very practical, dynamic and diverse portfolio and stands the chance of becoming the best in the nearest future.

The hospital is rising at double digits, and is providing world-class medical services, unique international environment, with exceptionally dedicated and experienced personnel, a radical departure from the conventional experiences of tales about hospitals.

The last two years of the health institution has witnessed an unprecedented level of infrastructure development under the leadership of the Chief Medical Director, Prof. Etete Peters, who has ensured that the landscape, indeed the entire territory, of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital has been radically altered and transformed.

“By 2020, we will improve our quality services, establish new specialties, including Neurosurgical, Endoscopy and Telemedicine. We will set up an institute of radiology with ultra modern diagnostic facilities. We will expand and upgrade our laboratory services in a defined structure with state of the art equipment,” he said.

That represents the vision statement of the Hospital carefully set by the man of the moment, and undoubtedly the glow from that fire will truly light the hospital. Peters is taking the University Hospital several notches higher, implementing a veritable developmental agenda that, with it geo-strategic significance, stands the hospital out as a destination.

The University of Uyo Teaching Hospital was no news many years ago, but today every thing points to the fact that the hospital is a success story, it would soon become the attraction of the entire nation.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, Prof. Peters is doing everything to his credit to tear down barriers, change direction and shape the medical industry, bringing with him his extensive experience of so many years in the medical profession.

As a tertiary health institution with a mandate to provide tertiary medical services, training for various cadres of health workers and research, the Hospital has remained focused, purposeful, recording remarkable milestones in many areas. The Dental Department of the hospital is as old as the ‘ Sani Abacha Specialist Hospital’ Uyo. In the last two years of the hospital, however, the department has metamorphosed from a one cubicle setting, with a ‘barber’s chair’ to modern dental office with a digital dental chair that can be compared to any other in any part of the globe.  The department has moved from obscurity to limelight, using the existing structures and equipment acquired by Prof Peters to become a one-stop dental institution in Nigeria.

Dental cases that were flown abroad for solutions now find their way to the teaching hospital and perfect treatment are offered. The increasing number of patients attending the dental clinic daily testifies to the fact that much is taking place at the clinic.  According to Dr. E. E. Ekanem:  “We turn ‘Draculas’ to human beings and children with ugly duckling syndrome are made perfect looking homo-sapiens, courtesy of the wonderful Dental Laboratory we operate here”.

Besides beautification of the oral cavity, doing away with the unsightly smokers stains and calculus to giving one either a TV smile by the specially trained Dental Therapist are also available.

Laboratory services: The medical microbiology laboratory started at the ground floor of the administrative block with the initial capacity of serving as secondary health facility. When the hospital became a teaching hospital, there was need to expand the laboratory to meet up with the increasing number of patients that required the services of the laboratory.  The laboratory was then moved to the first floor of the same building where a larger space was allocated in order to accommodate newer equipment which the hospital has provided. Part of the laboratory (mycobacteriology), is in a separate building behind the general store building of the hospital.

The laboratory in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology is organised into various laboratories, including bacteriology/mycology laboratory, parasitology laboratory, media production laboratory, mycobacterium laboratory, immunology laboratory.

The bacteriology laboratory now boast of highly efficient sputum and stool benches, urine benches, wound benches, urogenital benches, blood culture benches and serology benches, all providing routine and specialised microbiology investigations, diagnostic services and training for residents doctors primarily in the department as well as other residents doctors on rotation from other clinical departments. The first ever transfusion medicine training workshop in Nigeria was held in this hospital that is fast becoming a destination for the world, now collaborating with renowned and world class health institutions, mostly in the USA and Europe. Creative, receptive, and incurable optimist are the words, that best describe Prof. Peters, the Chief Medical Director of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital , a man with the magic wand, a soft-spoken and avid leader, who believes in hard work, despite the effects of government’s bureaucratic bottlenecks.

In the last two years of his administration, Peters has transformed the Teaching Hospital to some extra-ordinary institution of a sort. There has been increase in bed capacity from 250 to about 700, the establishment of radiology at the accident and emergency unit, and the installation of X-ray machine for diagnosis.

Infrastructural development is one area that has greatly changed the aesthetics of the hospital. Peters has made success in the completion of Surgical Out-Patients/NHIS Block, completion of the Orthopaedic Block, completion of department for mental health block, and the completion and equipping of two-storey Medical Block. The rehabilitation of internal roads, completion and renovation of the main administrative block are all projects, carefully undertaken by the Peters administration. The construction of one-storey Amenity Block, supply and installation of Orthopaedic Medical Equipment, construction and supply of electricity and the completion of Chapel building for a decent place of worship for the staff are all part of the uncommon transformation story.

Peters has provided superb example in the area of general administration, making giant strides through the establishment of First Bank Cash Centre and engagement of Sterling Bank in the daily collection of revenue at various pay-points, the computerization of Health Information Management Service, introduction of call meals for officers on call duties to enhance their efficiency.

Peters has succeeded in making the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital the envy of the nation. When the Minister for Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu visited the health institution, he said: “I am delighted  at the level of infrastructural development I have seen, the conducive working environment, the commitment and good management of the Chief Medical Director.”

By TONY NYONG