The Chief Medical Director, Management and Staff of David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital, Uburu today received the House of Representatives Committee on Health Institutions who were on oversight visit to the hospital to access performance of the 2023 budget.

The committee Chairman, Dr. Amos Magaji revealed that the visit was part of their constitutional mandate and an avenue to see things first hand and interface with the hospital management staff and leaders of the various labour unions in the institution.

He noted that the hospital with its cutting edge technology and visually appealing presence has the potentials to reduce to the barest minimum the number of patients seeking medical tourism abroad, and urged the Management to ensure optimization of the standard already in place in future projects including siting a helipad for easy evacuation of patients in need of critical care to DUFUTH.

The committee however acknowledged the need for increased funding, public health grants and private partnerships to enable DUFUTH stay afloat as a premium tertiary hospital and to maintain its quality structure, in line with the dream of its founder.

The team further expressed satisfaction with the level of progress made, promising to utilize its oversight prerogative to support and influence necessary assistance for the hospital.

During the interface, the Chief Medical Director of DUFUTH, Professor Uzoma Agwu enumerated the hospital's achievements and specialist healthcare programmes and facilities available.

She however requested assistance to the hospital in the areas of increased funding, power supply and manpower needs to give the institution the capacity to facilitate and deliver on its core mandate.

The lawmakers also engaged key stakeholders and various Labour Union representatives including the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria ( MDCAN), National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives ( NANNM) as well as the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals , Research Institutes and Associated Institutions ( SSAUTHRIAI) led by Comrade Onyeabor Peter who among other things sought for review of the national minimum wage, regular and prompt payment of wage award, dawnward review of federal mortgage bank, transport scheme for Nigerian workers, rural allowance for all staff and proper placement of staff.

The Chief Medical Director also led the committee on facility tour of the hospital where they inspected Main Theatre 2, Intensive Care Unit - Anaesthesia Dept, MRI , X- Ray, and CT suite workstation- Radiology Dept, Vital Beam, Brachy therapy and CT stimulator- cancer centre, ECG Room, ECG & EMG Room, Endoscopy, Echocardiograpy - Internal Medicine Dept, Physiotherapy and Well woman Centre clinic colposcopy Room.

Other places visited were Gynaecology clinic, Clinical microbiology , Chemical Pathology, Histopathology Unit and Haematology Research Laboratory- Medical Laboratory Dept, among others.

The final lap of the committee's visit to South East continues at UNTH Enugu on Friday.