...As Rivers govt promises partnership
By: Felix Ikpotor
The Chief Medical Director, CMD, of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH, Professor Henry Ugboma has stated that the newly launched UPTH Premium would drastically reduce medical tourism and capital flight in Rivers and surrounding states in the South South Region.
Ugboma, who spoke at the unveiling of the state-of-the-art facility located inside the UPTH premises said the new hospital is of thesame standard with any hospital abroad.
He stated that the idea of UPTH Premium was birthed by the challenges people who want to seek specialized medicare abroad goes through and the huge financial implications.
“The problem associated with moving patients from here to outside state or country is a major issue, so we took it upon ourselves and consulted with the board and we agreed to map out projects that will benefit our people. Things that are affordable, achievable and to reduce medical tourism and this project was one of them and we are happy today that we have achieved it,” the Ugboma said.
The CMD appreciated the hospital’s board and their partners for keying into their dream of birthing a world-class medical facility to attend to specialized healthcare needs of the people.
He also disclosed that the facility would run on a Public Private Partnership basis.
“I thank my board for making it possible because without your support we won’t be able to achieve this, we thank the Central Bank of Nigeria that listened to us to put up this facility and the manager of the facility, Dr Teinye Isokariari who is also our product here for envisioning into our dream and to come out with this project.
“Public Private Partnership is the way to go and that’s why we brought in Patricare, we gave them this infrastructure and they gave the final torch,” he added.
Ugboma emphasized that the new hospital does not diminish the existing teaching hospital, but would rather serve as a feeder to the new facility while also assuring that the hospital is cost effective with all expertise intact.
“We have two system here, the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital and UPTH Premium. Their cost can’t be thesame but what we have here can accommodate everybody.What we have here is like what you have outside the country, but definitely this is cheaper when you consider your flight ticket and all that. You have all the expertise here even in the teaching hospital.
“UPTH would serve as a feeder to the new hospital. Patricare is also coming in with their team of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers who will impact positively on service delivery. All departments are complete,” The CMD assured.
On his part, Dr Teinye Isokariari, the Managing Director of Patricare and Chief Executive Officer of UPTH Premium said the driving vision behind the project is the desire to give back to his alma mater and to boost healthcare delivery in the region.
He explained further that new hospital aims to create a support system for the already existing structure in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.
“I feel comfortable bringing this back home to my alma mater because UPTH have one of the greatest minds. What we are trying to do is to make sure that we bring our colleagues oversees back home and for UPTH, what we are doing is to enable the private sector pluck into the resources that UPTH already has. So the drive is to make the hospital, state and region great,” Isokariari stated.
Giving a description of the facilities in the new hospital, Isokariari said: “We have put together a facility that has about seventy beds, we have four theaters, an Intensive Care Unit, Special Care Units, laboratory and quite a good facility here. The idea is to provide care at thesame level you can get anywhere around the world”.
He assured that the management would continue to partner with their consultants, the management of UPTH and others to ensure that the value the hospital provides is not just driven by financial gains but patients satisfaction.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government has promised to partner UPTH Premium to ensure that it delivers on its objectives.
Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Oreh who was represented at the unveiling of the new facility by Dr Sylvanus Ojums, Head, Rivers State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance Systems, RSEMSAS, said the state would partner the hospital because the services to be rendered there are for the benefits of Rivers people.
Ojums also assured that the emergency ambulance service system which he heads would always be available to carry patients to the hospital at no cost.
“As a representative of the Rivers State Government, we are saying that we’ll partner with you to make it work. We are totally committed to this and to see that whatever would be needed from our own end, we’ll contribute to make sure that it’s a success because we are not doing it for only UPTH but for the entire Rivers people.
“Also want to say that we have the Rivers State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance Systems and I assure you that anytime we get your call we will be ready to bring patients to this place at no cost,” he assured.
