BY PATRICK MGBODO
The Nigerian healthcare landscape is too often marred by systemic failures: inadequate infrastructure, low staff morale, insufficient funding, and recurring strikes. In this context, the Asaba Specialist Hospital (ASH) stands as an exception. Since its inception in 2019, the institution has demonstrated what is possible through effective management, visionary leadership, and strategic investment, making it a case study in resilience and progress within the public health sector.
Perhaps the clearest testament to ASH’s remarkable growth came during the recent visit of the Asagba of Asaba, HRM Obi (Prof) Epiphany Azinge SAN, to the hospital. His tour of the facility offered a rare moment of validation, as the monarch’s keen observations mirrored the reality of a healthcare institution that has steadily evolved into a model of excellence, among other recommendations.
Addressing the monarch during the event, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of ASH, Dr (Mrs) Peace Ighosewe, who assumed leadership of the hospital barely nine months after its establishment in 2019, underscored the visit as a reinforcement of the sacred bond between the traditional institution and modern healthcare.
With a staff strength of just about 40 staff about six years ago, the facility has grown into one of the most vibrant and respected hospitals in Delta State with a current workforce of over 700 personnel, 230 beds a monthly admission rate of about 1,000 on the average and a monthly clinic attendance rate of about 10,000 patients on outpatient basis, feats Dr Ighosewe attributed to the unwavering support of the state government under the leadership of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, the commitment of its dedicated staff and the support of the traditional institution.
‘’When you compare this to where we were when we started, you will see that we have made a huge leap forward in the short time that we have operated’’ Dr Ighosewe said, adding that in its first year, ASH only managed just about 3,000 patients throughout the year, as against the current figures, 10,000.
Continuing, Dr Ighosewe said the hospital, in line with the policy of the state government, conducts free deliveries for pregnant women. ‘’Monthly, our delivery rate is about 200 and is increasing as the years progress. We see over 800 pregnant women weekly, and many of them give birth here free of charge, thanks to the state government’’
She listed some of the facilities in the hospital to include a three-suite theatre complex, two additional theatre suites in the maternity complex, adding that recently, the state government graciously approved a three-unit dialysis centre with modern water treatment facilities.
The CMD also informed the monarch that the hospital has improved its Accident and Emergency Department, expanded its diagnostics services, which now boasts of very high-end investigations, adding that the hospital has facilities for the production of blood products, including fresh-frozen plasma, which she said is only done by the Asaba Specialist Hospital in the entire state.
‘’The hospital also has a very well-equipped sickle cell centre that has facilities to do newborn screenings for genotype. So, every child born here gets the opportunity to get their genotype known at birth, and this has helped to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with sickle anaemia, which is a very common and debilitating illness in our environment.
‘’Again, we have grown from just a general hospital, mainly service-oriented, into a teaching hospital standard centre. We now run accredited residency training programmes in various faculties, including paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, radiology and family medicine. We are working on getting more accreditations for other faculties, too. We also train interns, nurses, pharmacists and medical doctors.
‘’Recently, the hospital attained a teaching hospital status as we have now entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dennis Osadebey University (DOU), Asaba, to serve as a teaching hospital facility for their medical school. This is something that has given us an immense sense of pride and pleasure to be well-positioned to provide that service to the school’’ Dr Ighosewe said.
Still on the progress recorded by the hospital, Dr Ighosewe said ASH remains the only hospital in the state that operates a cashless payment system. ‘’We have been doing this for over a year now, and this has significantly boosted our internally-generated revenue’’
According to her, ‘’The hospital serves as a referral centre, not just for Delta State but for other neighbouring states including Anambra, Edo, Bayelsa and Rivers. Our partnerships with universities, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and international organisations have helped to improve patient care and reduce morbidity while projecting the hospital on a broader scale and having people know what we do in ASH.’’ She said the hospital recently produced a Fellow who is now a consultant paediatrician and has been appointed by the hospital from its own residency training programme.
‘’This hospital stands as a testament to what is possible when the government, community and traditional authority work hand in hand. We humbly seek your continued support in mobilising our people for early hospital care, health insurance enrolment under the state government’s health insurance scheme and preventive health practices, including immunisation and regular health checks. We offer regular health checks annually to all staff members of the hospital, and we screened over 200 persons who availed themselves free of charge this year alone.
‘’Together, we can reduce disease burden and strengthen the well-being of our people’’ Dr Ighosewe said, even as she expressed the hospital’s need for expansion, among other areas.
Not too long ago, HRM Azinge undertook a tour of all the Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) in Asaba and then proceeded to tertiary health institutions for similar engagements. At ASH, he said his visit resonated with his appreciation of healthcare as a significant aspect of the welfare of a people, which must not be taken for granted, adding that it also allowed him to interface with the staff and management of the hospital on the state of the institution.
HRM Azinge commended the Oborevwori administration and successive governments for establishing ASH and supporting its growth within the shortest possible time. ‘’I commend the government for the numerous supports to the mothers, the free delivery facility and all the numerous equipment available here at ASH, including the promise of an MRI machine’’
The monarch, after a tour around the hospital, also commended the management of ASH for the giant strides recorded since 2019, the exponential rise in the number of patients, and he also commended the staff of the hospital for their resilience and commitment.
‘’That you have remained steadfastly committed is something that we cannot take for granted. A good number of you may have reasons to leave the shores of this country, but you have remained resolutely committed to the healthcare system, not just here, but in the whole of the country. ‘’The most impressive aspect of what you do is that you have migrated from just a general hospital to almost becoming a teaching hospital today. The accreditations you have received in diverse areas eminently put you in a position to become a teaching hospital in your own right. ‘’So, one major plea I am here to make is to the Delta State Government, and I believe the message will resonate clearly. My plea to the government of the day is that they should put the machinery in motion to make sure that, in the shortest possible time, Asaba Specialist Hospital is elevated to a teaching hospital.
‘’You (ASH) have the personnel, the facility and what it takes. You are already accredited in many ways, so what is left is just in the nomenclature. It will help in many ways than one. It will help in building up the capacity of staff, and it will also help in creating more employment opportunities.
‘’More importantly, it will help keep the staff here longer because once you migrate into a teaching hospital, automatically the university conditions will apply to you, and certainly the retirement age will change automatically, and people will no longer be leaving at 60 because when you get to the professorial cadre, you will be retiring at 70. This will keep people here for a longer period, and that is the kind of thing we look forward to.
‘’Having said that, we know this must go through the crucible of law-making.
There must be legal instruments to support it’’ the monarch said, charging the member representing Oshimili South in the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon Bridget Anyafulu, to ‘’see how we can migrate Asaba Specialist Hospital to either the Asaba Specialist Teaching Hospital or the Dennis Osadebey University Teaching Hospital, Asaba’’
‘’If we can do this, I believe it will help in a very special way to elevate the status of both the hospital itself and those who work in it. So, we are happy with what we have seen, and we have seen that the workers are happy. However, much more can still be achieved’’ the monarch said.
Reacting to other issues raised during the occasion, HRM Azinge said he has tried to look into the soaring house rents in Asaba, but noted sadly that it is not an area within his purview. ‘’It is not something I can handle as a traditional ruler. I have asked questions and I have noted that it is something that only the House of Assembly can legislate upon.
‘’I am aware that a member of the House of Assembly, Hon Marilyn Daramola-Okowa, is already pushing along that line. We are hoping that with the support of Hon Bridget Anyafulu, if they can fast-track what they are doing, it will change the narrative of the whole issue of rent and agency fee operating in Asaba.
‘’So, it is not an oversight on our part. It’s just that it is not within our purview. If it were something within my purview, I would have long addressed it. But we are hopeful that it can still be handled by the House of Assembly, and we want to urge them to do so’’ the monarch said.
HRM Azinge also appealed to the personnel of the Asaba Specialist Hospital to care for themselves, too. ‘’For you to be seeing almost 10,000 patients every month is quite enormous. This is something that can drive people to their limits’’
He also appealed to the nurses to improve their relationship with patients and show more empathy, urging the CMD and the management team of ASH to train the nurses in this direction. ’Nobody who is well will want to come to the hospital. But for people to come, they must be accorded that right of dignity as human beings and be accorded the respect that they deserve. This is a special plea to the nurses and other members of staff’’ the monarch appealed, even as he reaffirmed the partnership of the Asaba community and the Asaba Specialist Hospital for its continued growth and development.
Others who remarked at the occasion include the member representing the Aniocha/Oshimili in the House of Representatives, Hon Ngozi Okolie; the Chairman of the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), Dr Oke Obadaseraye, who is a consultant orthopaedic surgeon; Dr Gerald Okonta, the eye of the monarch in the ASH axis, Ogbueshi Jude Mordi; the Head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Dr Ola Obidi; and the Vice President of the Association of Resident Doctors, ASH, Dr Harrison Ubini.
Hon Okolie commended the leadership of ASH, particularly the dexterity of the CMD, even as he pledged to synergise with the hospital management to intervene in areas for possible growth.
Corroborating the CMD, Dr Okonta said ASH has made tremendous progress, stressing that the personnel of Asaba extraction in the facility, though not too many, remain dedicated to ensuring quality healthcare. ‘’I would like to commend the CMD; she has made tremendous strides. She has improved the facilities in the hospital. So, ASH is a reference point in Delta State. We pray that we continue to make even greater strides’’.
Corroborating other speakers, Dr Obadaseraye of MDCAN, drew the monarch’s attention to the soaring house rents in Asaba, stressing that it has become a major problem. He appealed to the traditional ruler to intervene, as it has become increasingly difficult for health workers to afford decent housing at modest costs.
Also, Dr Obidi commended the monarch for visiting the hospital, even as he recalled his first encounter with HRM Azinge about five years ago and demonstrated generosity to patients in the hospital, even before he became king. ‘’So, when the news came that HRM Azinge had been made the king, it was a great joy for me’’
Remarking, Ogbueshi Mordi, also noted that the hospital has been of tremendous benefit to the Asaba people and other Nigerians residing in the community. However, he called for a broader representation of Asaba indigenes in the workforce of the hospital.
Likewise, Dr Ubini restated the commitment of the workforce at ASH, particularly the resident doctors, who he said have made tremendous sacrifices for the continued progress of the hospital. He requested HRM Azinge to become the patron of ARD (ASH), adding, ‘’We are the most peaceful resident doctors in Nigeria, we have not gone on strike’’
HRM Azinge’s visit to the Asaba Specialist Hospital did not end with policy pronouncements and commitments alone.
It was also a moment that celebrated the rich cultural heritage of the Asaba people. The Egwu-Ota music, the traditional attire, and the resonant greetings—especially the royal salutation, Nna Agu!—all combined to express the magic of collaboration.
