The Month of May in the gregorian calendar was always a memorable month , according to the Chief Medical Director, CMD University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, UATH, Professor Bisala Ahmed Ekele particularly as it relates to the date of the establishment of the hospital many decades ago, that was later taken over by the Federal Government and the commissioning of ten infrastructure projects by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was represented by the coordinating Minister of Health and Social Development, Professor Ali Pate, that was significant in the life of the tertiary health institution.
Another memorable day was Tuesday May 15, 2025 that again witnessed many projects commissioning , eight years down the line of the Chief Medical Director, Ekele who assumed duty in 2017.
It was a rainy morning accompanied by the blessings of the rain with members of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital Gwagwalada UATH Board and management along with the Minister’s entourage defied the rain to carry out the auspicious ceremony of the multiple projects commissioning in the tertiary health institution.
Visibly elated Professor Bisala Ahmed Ekele while welcoming the Presidential team led by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Development expressed joy and fulfillment on the attention been given by the Minister under the current administration of Renewed Hope Agenda and the zeal coming from the Federal Ministry of Health under the leadership of the current administration.
While thanking the Minister for the occasion and his usual intervention in the area of equipment and Infrastructural development of the hospital, he particularly extended the management and board appreciation towards not only the donation of CT SCAN ‘MRI’ machine , but the building of a new befitting structure to house the new equipment provided by the Federal government for the hospital among many others.
The Chief Medical Director,Ekele said this positive, infrastructural and equipment upsurge has led to the improvement of not only in it’s services , but increases over 300 bed space to over 500 bed space in the last few years.
He also reeled out some achievements in the medical , academic and administrative sphere in the last years of the tertiary health institution, which was laced with breakthroughs by the staff in the area of medical and academic personnel, with some of them engaged in foreign medical institutions with distinct recognition.
While addressing the President represented by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Development, he appealed to the federal government for the provision of solar farm , as electricity has become a major impediment to the operation of the hospital with high cost of Diesel and epileptic power supply among others .
Ekele, under the leadership of the hospital has embarked on wholistic remodelling of infrastructure and equipment including provision of security solar street lights to lighten up the environment, noting that the solar farm is capital intensive and will require the intervention of the federal government.
Also the new Chairman, Board of the hospital, Dr Ikechuckwu Odikpo reiterated the need for the provision of solar farm to the hospital, while he told the Minister his efforts at Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to attract the provision of solar to the entire operation of the hospital.
He thanked the Minister for giving urgent attention to the request of the hospital, while assuring him of adequate healthcare services delivery as at when due and the urgency it required to the populace.
While acknowledging the leadership of the Ministry under the coordinating Minister of Health, Professor Ali Pate , the Chief Medical Director requested for more intervention from the government.
In his address at the occasion on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Professor Ali Pate emphasized on the attention of the Renewed Hope Agenda administration in the area of provision of health facilities from the primary, secondary and tertiary health institutions.
He promised continuous investment in the health sector particularly the creation of more centers, foreign intervention and infrastructural development.
While commending the Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Professor Bisala Ahmed Ekele for his unique all round performance, he enjoined other medical facilities both at the federal and teaching hospitals to toe the same line .
Pate assured the management and the board of the hospital that government will look into their fresh request among many others in the course of time .
Highlights of the occasion included the commissioning of the ten projects initiated ad completed by the leadership of Professor Bisala Ahmed Ekele which took the Minister round the projects for on the spot assessment.
The ten projects commissioned
included; Male Surgical wards, Male Medical wards, Family planning unit, Intensive Care unit, Senior and Junior Staff Quarters, CT SCAN machine (160-slice) Vivian Kwage House Officers Quarters, Nimfan Zwladong Block, Ali Pate Block among others.
