VC blames poor electricity for stagnation in health sector

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Prof. Abdulwaheed Olatinwo, has blamed erratic electricity supply for the slow progress in the health sector.

The VC spoke yesterday in Ilorin at an interactive forum between Service Compact (SERVICOM) and stakeholders of the university.Prof. Olayinka Buhari represented the CMD.

He said the frequent strike by health workers had made the hospital to lose about 107 productive days in this year alone.According to him, despite these challenges, the management had positioned the hospital to be among the best in the country.

He said: “Our operating environment has had its own challenges, with poor electricity being the major problem in our efforts to satisfy the patients.

“If the money we spent on providing alternative power was deployed to other uses, our service-delivery to children and pregnant women would have been improved upon.”

He said the hospital was still recovering from the effects of the industrial action, which the workers embarked upon during the year.Olatinwo said the strike took a toll on their clients, especially those who had taken the hospital as their “one-stop-shop.”

He warned patients against self-medication or seeking cheaper solutions in unorthodox facilities due to the economic recession.The CMD condemned the high cases of teenage pregnancies, adding that most times, they visit the hospital without money to pay for their medical care.Olatinwo said the UITH recorded some medical feats in the out-going year.