ASSESSING IMPLICATIONS OF RISK MANAGEMENT ON PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED FEDERAL HEALTH INSTITUTIONS IN SOUTH EAST NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The study sought to determine the extent to which risk identification affects organizational productivity in selected federal health institutions, ascertain the extent of the relationship between risk assessment and creativity in selected federal health institutions, determine the effect of risk response strategy on innovation in selected federal health institutions, determine the nature of the relationship between risk management and organizational effectiveness in selected federal health institutions and ascertain the extent at which internal environment affects organizational growth in selected federal health institutions. The study had a population size of 4535, out of which a sample size of 553 was realised using Freund and Williams’s formula at 5% error tolerance and 95% level of confidence. Instrument used for data collection was primarily questionnaire and interview. Out of 553 copies of the questionnaire that were  distributed,  506  copies  were  returned  while  47  were  not  returned.  The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The hypotheses were tested using Pearson product moment correlation coefficient and simple linear regression statistical tools. The findings indicate that risk identification significantly affects organizational productivity in selected federal health institutions (r = 0.764; F = 418.677; t= 13.516; p=   0.05 ) . There is a significant relationship between risk assessment and creativity in selected federal health institutions (r =. 955, p < .05). Risk response strategy has a significant effect on innovation in selected federal health institutions ( r = 0.782 ; F= 4.4103; tc  = 9.149 >  tt  = 1.96; p < 0.05). There is a positive relationship between risk management and organizational effectiveness in selected federal health institutions (r =.583, p <. 05).   Internal environment significantly affects organizational growth in selected federal health institutions ( r = 0.619 ; F= 313.489; tc = 9. 744 >  tt = 1.96; p < 0.05). The study concluded that risk management is a corner stone of good corporate governance which must result in to better service delivery, efficient and effective use of scarce resources .The study recommended that risk management should be a common thread throughout the entire organization. The study recommends that all health institutions should critically carryout  risk  management  programmes,  so  as  to  enjoy  inherent  benefits  of  the programme and there should be continuous training and development programmes for those who work under risk/safety and emergence units on how to assess risk, handle risk and manage risk for organizational effectiveness  and Firms should integrate risk management into their organization’s philosophy, practices and business plans rather than being viewed or practiced as a separate  programme and that would allow them to see risk management as a proactive activities rather than reactive.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study
Risk management began to be studied after World War II. Several sources (Crockford,

1982; Harrinton and Neihaus, 2003; Williams and Heins, 1995) date the origin of modern risk management to 1955-1964. Snider (1956) observes that there were no books on risk management at the time, and no university offer courses in the subject. The  first  two  academic  books  were  published  by  Mehr  and  Hedges  (1963)  and Williams  and  Hems  (1964).  Their  content  cover  pure  risk  management,  which excluded corporate financial risk. Risk management, has long been associated with the use of market insurance to protect individuals and companies from various losses associated with accidents (Harrington and Neihaus, 2003).

New forms of pure risk management emerged during the mid-1950s as alternative to market insurance when different types of insurance coverage became very costly and incomplete. Several business risks were costly or impossible to insure. During the

1960s, contingent planning activities were developed, and various risk prevention or self-protection activities and self-insurance instruments against some losses were put in place. Protection activities and coverage for work-related illness and accidents also arose at companies during this period (Harrington and Neihaus, 2003).

The use of derivatives as instruments to manage insurable and uninsurable risk began in the 1970s, and developed very quickly during the 1980s. It was also in the 1980s that companies began to consider financial management or risk portfolios. Financial risk  management  has  become complementary to  pure risk  management  for  many companies.   Financial   institutions,   including   banks   and   insurance   companies, intensified their market and credit risk management activities during the 1980s. Operational risk and liquidity risk management emerged in the 1990s (Harrington and Neihaus, 2003).

International  regulation  of  risk  also  began  in  the  1900s.  Financial  institutions developed internal risk management models and capital calculation formulas to protect themselves from unanticipated risks and reduce regulatory capital. At the same time, governance of risk management became essential, integrated risk management was introduced, and the first risk manager positions were created (Harrington and Neihaus, 2003).

The concept of risk management has been used in banking and insurance services since the early 1970’s. Risk management has been an accepted practice in industries in the West since the 1900s and in hospitals in the U.S. since the mid-1970s. However, the activities related to risk management have been in place for decades without the specific name of “Risk Management.” The term risk management in the curriculum of postgraduate studies in hospital administration in Asian countries is almost absent. Yet, the graduates of these postgraduate programs will be at the helm of the hospital industry. They will have little or no appreciation of the critical importance of the continuing  process  of  risk   management   in  the  delivery  of  quality  care  and sustainability  of  the  hospital  in  the  long  run.  Risk  management  activities  were inducted into the health care industry in response to the growing national malpractice insurance costs (Woodfin, 2012).

Silvers (2005:2)  states that  “risk  management  is the art  and  science of planning, assessing, and handling future events to ensure favourable outcomes and the act or practice of dealing with risk”. Silvers (2005) cited in O’Toole, (2002) stresses that there is an increase in risk management planning by event stakeholders such as government  agencies,  insurance companies and  sponsors. Generally speaking, risk management is the process to protect the assets and minimize financial loss to the organization. Managing risk is a proactive function. It is taking action to reduce the frequency and severity of unexpected incidents, reduce the impact of legal claims, and promote high reliability performance,  system design,  and  the  uniqueness of each patient exposes the organization to the potential for liability.

Risk management (RM) is a concept which is used in all industries, from IT related business, automobile or pharmaceutical industry, to the construction sector. Each industry has developed their own RM standards, but the general idea of the concept usually remain the same regardless of the sector.   Risk is an essential part of business because firms cannot operate without taking risks. Risk is commonly associated with uncertainty, as the event may or may not occur. Risk implies exposure to uncertainty or threat (Kannan and Thangavel, 2008). Organizations operate in a web of risks which span from the cluster of natural catastrophes, failures related to human acts, breach  of security,  financial turmoil,  unsteady  business  environments and  project failures. An organization needs to understand its mission and articulate it clearly. This makes  it  easier  to  recognize  the  risks  associated  with  the  mission.  Once  an organization identifies  its  mission,  it  can begin  its risk  assessment  by  listing  the possible risks that threaten the business with the aim of identifying high priority risks and focusing on those first (Mehr and Hedges, 1963).

Risk management is generally a part of other management systems such as quality, environmental or work environmental management systems. Some core values are common   in   many   quality   and   environmental   management   systems   viz.   the commitment of all employees, customer focus, management commitment, focus on process, continuous improvement  and  fact-based decisions. Risk  management  is a crucial part of the total project management system regardless of the focus on quality, environment or work environment (Kannan and Thangavel, 2008).

Risk  management  is viewed as a corner stone of good corporate governance and therefore results in better service delivery, more efficient and effective use of scarce resources and  better project  management  (Collier et  al., 2007). It  has to  do  with identification, analysis and control of such risks that threaten resources, assets, personnel and the earning capacity of a company (Dorfman, 2007).

According to Dorfman (2007), risk management is the logical development and implementation of a plan to deal with potential losses. It is important for an organization  to  put  in  place  risk  management  programmes  so  as  to  manage  its exposure to risks as well as protect its assets. The essence is to prepare ahead of time on how to control and finance losses before they occur. Dorfman continues to say that risk management is a strategy of pre-loss planning for pre-loss resources.

Risk management is: “a process of understanding and managing the risks that the entity is inevitably subject to in attempting to achieve its corporate objectives. For management purposes, risks are usually divided into categories such as operational, financial, legal compliance, information and personnel. One example of an integrated solution to risk management is enterprise risk management” (CIMA, 2005).

Enterprise  Risk  Management  deals  with  risks  and  opportunities  affecting  value creation or preservation, defined as “a process, effected by an entity’s board of directors, management and other personnel, applied in strategy setting and across the enterprise, designed to identify potential events that may affect the entity and manage risks to  be within  its risk appetite, to  provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of entity objectives” (COSO, 2004).

The  issue  of  risk  management  strategy  is  also  very  crucial  and  fundamental  to effective   risk   management.   This   is   because   it   provides   barriers   against   an accumulation of exposures inherent in on-going business activities (Chorafas, 2008). Companies need risk management strategies in order to be successful at risk management. It helps management to identify and decide which risks to avoid, control, transfer to another party such as an insurance company or which risk to tolerate, that is accepting some or all the consequences of a particular risk. The focus of good risk management is the identification and treatment of these risks. Its objective is to add maximum sustainable value to all the activities of the organization. This activity must also be realistic, practical and cost effective (Woodfin, 2012).

The role of risk management is to identify and evaluate the risks faced by the firm, to communicate this risk to senior management and to monitor and manage these risks in a way that ensures that firm bears only the risks its management and board want exposure to. It helps companies to minimize the risks and maximize the profits at the time (Jungmoo, 1999).

Organisations are facing an increasing number and a greater variety of risks and there is growing recognition that risk must be managed with the total organisation in mind. All organisations are required to have a more practical approach to dealing with risk that goes beyond the statistical and analytical to future scenario and planning (jolly, 2003). Companies that understand risks better than their competitor are in a very powerful position to leverage risk to a competitive advantage. Greater knowledge of risks delivers the competitor and to manage risk at the lowest cost (Davenport and Bradley, 2000).

Furthermore, the recent economic volatility has given risk management a new focus and  eminence. Successful firms’ are able and  willing to  effectively integrate risk management  at  all  levels  of  management  process  from  strategy to  success.  Risk management is an invaluable tool for managing uncertainty associated with business. Business enterprises have always practice some forms of risk management, implicitly or explicitly (Meulbroek, 2002). The concept of risk management is, therefore, not so new because risk management techniques like: risk reduction through safety; quality control and hazard education; alternative risk financing; and insurance, including self- insurance and captive insurance, have been in existence for a long time (Doherty,

2000).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Risk is inherent in every economic activity and every organization has to manage it according to its size and nature of operation because without risk management no organization can survive in the long run. This is because businesses today are faced with far greater challenges than before due to the fact that economical, technological and legal interdependence are becoming more prevalent and pronounced. It would be assumed that risk management systems will vary from organization to organization based on their size or industry sector. It is therefore logical to assume that every business organization has put in place a strong risk management structure and internal control systems to help achieve its goals. These are fundamental to the successful operation and day-to-day running of a business and assist a company in achieving its objectives.

Risk  may  affect  many  areas  of  activity,  such  as  strategy,  operation,  finance, technology and environment. In terms of specifics, it may include,  loss of key staff, substantial reductions in financial and other resources, severe disruptions to the flow of information and communication, fires or other physical disasters, leading to interruptions of business and or loss of records. More generally, risk also encompasses issues such as fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement.

Regrettably, organisations in Nigeria have been hampered by pitfalls in traditional approaches to risk management, as risk management is rarely undertaken in a systematic and integrated manner across firms. Traditional risk management views risk as a series of single and unrelated elements where individual risks are categorised and managed separately (Wolf, 2008). The major deficiency of traditional approach to risk management is the narrow focus on threats, rather than focusing on both opportunities and threats. The holistic approach to managing a firm’s risks differs substantially from historical practice, as typical firm tends to aggregate risk (effective risk management), rather than isolating them (traditional risk management)

In terms of risk, hospitals are a relatively hazardous working environment for both patients and  staff.  Hospital staff must  continuously deal with adverse events and numerous potential risks relating to surgery, anaesthetics and patient transfers: for example, wound infections, medication errors, wrong-site surgery. The relatively high risk of unsafe situations makes the hospital sector an important setting for an assessment  of  various  approaches  to  Risk  Management.  Effective  clinical  risk

management  involves  the  implementation  of  operational  procedures  and  supports which are based on agreed values and principles.

In hospitals, the employees and clients are exposed to varied kinds of hazards and diseases. Therefore failure to institute adequate risk management measures in place by management to protect employees and patients from these hazards and risks will lead to  avoidable  death  and  ultimately  lead  to  loss  of  staff.  Inadequate  training  on acceptance and compliance risk management measures, also hinder its effectiveness. In fact, risk  management  in the organisations have to be everybody concern but on the contrary, this is not the case in most organisations there is lack of cooperation between management and employees in making risk management issues effective.

In  today  networked  and  complex  worlds,  health  institutions    face  challenges,  to identify the risk and opportunities in their business environment, they need a more comprehensive and holistic view  of the risks for their business milieu, but for health institutions to survive in this turbulent environment, risk management is the key, but if any health institution fail to practice   a   comprehensive risk management they are bound to experience increase in death rate of patients, system failures, increase in contagious disease, decline profits and productivity, information security breaches, internal fraud, privacy violation, regulatory non-compliance and these will bring total collapse of the system. Thus the study focuses on the assessing implications of risk management  on  performance  of selected  federal  health  institutions  in  south  east, Nigeria.

1.3  Objectives of the Study

The main objective of this study is to assess the implications of risk

management on performance of federal health institutions in south east, Nigeria

The specific objectives were to:

i        To determine the extent to which risk identification affects organizational productivity in selected federal health institutions

ii       To ascertain the extent of the relationship between risk assessment and creativity in selected federal health institutions

iii       To determine the effect of risk response strategy on innovation in selected federal health institutions

iv      To determine nature of the relationship between risk management and organizational effectiveness in selected federal health institutions

v       To ascertain the extent at which internal environment affects organizational growth  in selected federal health institutions

1.4 Research Questions

With the above objectives in focus, the study seeks to find answers to the following questions.

i          To what extent does risk identification affect organizational productivity in selected federal health  institutions?

ii          What is the extent of the relationship between risk assessment and creativity in selected federal health institutions?

iii          What is the effect of risk response strategy on innovation in selected  federal health institutions?

iv         What is the nature of the relationship between risk management and organizational effectiveness in selected federal health  institutions?

v          To what  extent does internal environment affect organizational growth in selected federal health  institutions?

1.5   Hypotheses

These hypotheses were proposed for the study

i           Risk identification significantly affects organizational productivity in selected federal health institutions

ii         There is a significant relationship between risk assessment and creativity in selected federal health institutions

iii         Risk response strategy has a significant effect on innovation in selected federal health institutions

iv        There is a positive relationship between risk management and organizational effectiveness in selected federal health institutions

v          Internal environment significantly affects organizational growth in selected federal health institutions

1.6   Significance of the Study

The study is significant because:

All health institutions in Nigeria will benefit from this work, the study will educate them on how to identify risk and manage risk.

The study will serve as a base and framework for future researchers to carry out further studies

The study will be of great importance to risk managers, to know how to carry out risk assessment which will help them to be proactive

1.7   Scope of the Study

The study focuses on the Concept of risk management, Reasons for risk management, Problems of risk management, Process of risk management, Critical success factors for effective risk management, Categories of risk management and Rationale of risk management. However, the study will be carried out in the five selected federal health institutions in Southeast Nigeria: Federal Health Centre, Umuahia; Federal Health Centre, Owerri ; University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu; Nnamdi Azikwe University Teaching Hospital Awka and  Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakalik.The study will cover a time range of 2008 to 2013..

1.8 Operational Definitions of Terms

Risk: This   is defined as a characteristic of a situation, action, or event in which a number of outcomes are possible, the particular one that will occur is uncertain, and at least one of the possibilities is undesirable (Yoe, 2000).

Uncertainty: This is a state of having limited knowledge where it is impossible to exactly  describe  the  existing  state,  a  future outcome,  or  more  than one  possible outcome (knight, 2012).

Risk Management: This refers to the process by which managers satisfy these needs by identifying key risks, obtaining consistent, understandable, operational risk measures, choosing which risks to reduce, which to increase and by what means, and establishing procedures to monitor resulting risk positions (Bessis, 2002),

Health Institution: This means a public or non-profit organization within this state that  provides  health  care  and  related  services,  including  but  not  limited  to  the

provision  of  inpatient  and  outpatient  care,  diagnostic  or  therapeutic  services, laboratory services, medicinal drugs, nursing care, assisted living, elderly care and housing,  including  retirement  communities,  and  equipment  used or  useful for  the provision of health care and related services (http://www.oregonlaws.org.)

Risk Analysis: This is a component of the risk management process, deals with the causes and effects of events which cause harm (Estate Management Manual, 2002).

Risk Identification: This is the process of determining which risk might affect the project (Rochart, 1979)

Business Risk: This  include all the risks that happen in real business, such daily business operations, decision making and business environment changes (Bessis,2002)

Risk Treatment: This involves selection and implementation of the appropriate control measures (Erben, 2008)

1.9 Profile of the Organisations Understudied

Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia

The Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia came into existence in November 1991. It metamorphosed  from  the  queen  Elizabeth  Hospital  which  was  commissioned  on March 24, 1956 by Sir Clement Pleas representing Queen Elizabeth the second of England. It started as a joint mission hospital administered by the Methodist, Anglican and Presbyterian churches. Before its takeover by the Federal Government, it had first been taken over from the missions by the then Imo State Government under the then Military Governor – Navy Captain Godwin Ndubuisi Kanu (now A retired rear Admiral). It was renamed Ramat Specialist Hospital in honour of the late slain Head of State, General Murtala Ramat  Mohammed. During the first  republic under the administration of late Chief Sam Mbakwe, Governor of the old Imo state, it reverted to its original name – Queen Elizabeth Hospital. It thus became the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia on its takeover in November 1991. It is the first FMC to be so recognized.

Geographical Location

The hospital covers an area 77 acres of land bounded on the south by the Nigerian prisons, Umuahia; east by Ndume Ibeku; North by Umuahia urban and west by Afara clan.

Mission Statement

“As the foremost Federal Medical Centre we will provide specialized and comprehensive health care services to our clients using modern equipment, research and  training  through  highly  motivated  manpower  operating  in  a  friendly  and conducive environment that captures our antecedent as a mission hospital.”

Vision of F.M.C. Umuahia

By 2015,  we will  improve the quality of existing  services;  increase our  level of research and the scope and depth of training and teaching. We will develop new functional areas; Renal Centre, Endoscopy Centre, Centre for In Vitro Fertilization, Mammography Centre, Dermatology Unit, Oncology Unit, Endocrinology Unit, Respiratory   Medicine   Unit   and   Palliative   Care   Unit.   We   will   achieve   Full Accreditation in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Family Medicine, Public Health, Ophthalmology, and Anaesthesiology. Human Resources Development to support our growth and needs will be accorded priority. We will develop facilities to support the above units and as well as attract medical tourism. We will be alive to our social responsibility as a tertiary hospital

Motto of the Hospital

Serving Beyond Expectation

Training

Training Programme Residency:

The need for residency training in this institution was realized sometime in 1966. Since that time, a lot has been accomplished including partial accreditation for part 1

FWACS for the o & g department obtained in 2009. Surgery department has full accreditation for part 1 and partial accreditation for part 2 in general surgery, Orthopaedics and urology from the West African college of surgeons also obtained in

2009. Community Medicine has been visited by both the West African college of physicians and national postgraduate college of medicine. Paediatrics has also been sited by the West African college of physicians. We are awaiting the official report which we already know will be favourable. Presently, Anaesthesiology and family medicine  departments  are  getting  ready  for  accreditation  visits.  We  have  also

successfully mass produced the first edition of the hand book on residency training programme.

Training Programme/Interns:

This hospital has been involved in the training and certification of house officers, pharmacy, medical laboratory and radiography interns. We are also involved in the industrial attachment programmes of the Abia state college of health technology for the laboratory technicians and medical records assistants/ technicians students. Within the  hospital premises  are the  Abia State School of Nursing  and  Midwifery.  The hospital provides the facilities for the clinical training of their students as well as students  from  the  schools  of  nursing  and  midwifery,  Amachara.  Other  involved student  groups  from  the  following  institutions  who  benefits  from  this  include:

– School of Midwifery, Aboh Mbaise, Imo State – family planning experience.

–    B.sc  Nursing/bns  students  from  Madonna  University,  Elele  and  Abia  State

University.

–     Medical students from Madonna University for O&G experience occasionally, medical students from Igbinedion University are here for an elective posting in paediatrics as well as occasional Nigerian medical students studying abroad who have come to do elective in our institution.

Number of Wards and Capacity

Ward 1 Crowther Male Orthopaedics                       30 Beds Ward 2 Batley Female Surgical                                20 Beds Ward 3 New Surgical Male Surgical                        10 Beds Ward 4 Eye Opthalmology                                       6 Beds Ward 5 Ludlow Gynaecology                                   20 Beds Ward 6 Obioma Labour Maternity (Booked)           6 Beds Ward 7 Obioma Lying-In Maternity (Booked)         20 Beds Ward 8 Nkasiobi Maternity (Unbooked)                  36 Beds Ward 9 Okpara Paediatrics (Combined) Psychiatry 20 Beds Ward 10 Female Medical Ward                                20 Beds

Ward 11 Male Medical                                             18 Beds Ward 12 Mental Health Psychiatry                           5 Beds Ward 13 Kirk Tb + Infectious Disease                     20 Beds Ward 14 New Born Special Care Neonatology        20 Beds

Our hospital, though a 247 bedded hospital is often overstretched to admit up to or more than 300 patients.

Awards

The hospital has won the 2nd prizes at the SERVICOM hospital evaluation in Health zone II in 1999 by the Federal Ministry of Health and UNICEF.

Special Projects

Other giant achievements of Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia include the Centre being designated a Centre of Excellence in Oncology and Communicable diseases in

2004

Outreach Centres

The  hospital  has  in  obedience to  the recent  directives  of the  Ministry of Health adopted 2 Health Centres for partnership aimed at improving quality of care in the rural     areas     with     a     view     to     improving     the     MDGs.     They     are:

–    Primary    Health    Centre    in    Isukwe,    Ubakala,    Umuahia    South    L.G.A.

–    Comprehensive Health Centre, Umuigu, Ikwuano L.G.A. all in Abia State.

University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugn

The University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) began early in the 20th century as a standard general hospital for African built by the colonial administrators. It later metamorphosed into a general hospital on the attainment of Nigeria’s independence in the 1960s. However, at the end of the Nigeria civil war in 1970, the then government of East Central State transformed into a specialist hospital with effect from July 1,

1970. At this time, the hospital had a total of 50 doctors, 10 wards of 300 beds and a chest bay of 60 beds. There was also 350 nurses working in the hospital.

By decree 23 of 1974, the federal military government took over the hospital but left the management in the hands of the council of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

The University of Nigeria Hospital became. Independent in July 1976 with the appointment of an autonomous management board.

Objectives and Functions of UNTH, Enugu

a) Objective: University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu has broad objectives of service teaching and research.

b) Functions: The hospital aims to achieve the objective above through the following

functions.

–           Provision of in patient and out patient services to its clients through the highly trained staff.

–          Provision of adequate clinical materials for service and training as Well for

equipment for research.

–           Provision of teaching facilities for the training of medical students, resident doctors, student nurses, pupil pharmacist, laboratory technology students, physiotherapist  and  radiographers,  as  well  as  other  persons  in  the  health delivery team.

– Conduct and promotion of research on all matters pertaining to health.

Levels of Management

The management board of the UNTH is the highest decision and policy making body of the hospital. The Chief Medical Director/Chief Executive, the Chairman, Medical Administration constitute the top management in the day to day running of the hospital while the heads of department and consultants constitute the middle management.

Departments

Altogether, there are 41 main departments on the present site of the .UNTH, with three outposts’  comprehensive  health  centers  at  Obukpa,  near  Nsukka,  Enugu  State, Abagana Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra and Isuochi in Abia state.

Present Bed Complement

The present bed complement of the hospital is 702 while the average daily number of beds occupied by patients is 509.

Training Schools

The hospital has 7 training schools/programmes in all. These are:

Nursing

Midwifery

Medical Laboratory

Technology Nursing Anesthetists

Community Health

 Post Basic Ophthalmic Nursing

Pen Operative Nursing

Above is in addition to its commitment to the training of medical students in the college of medicine. Its also runs post graduate professional courses in various fields of medicine.

Community Services

Community services rendered by the UNTH extend to various states of the country which include Anambra, Abia, Delta, Benue, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Imo, Plateau and old Gongola States among others. The UNTH also serves as a referral center for all smaller health institutions east of the Niger. It  also provides a 24 hours Accident and Emergency services. The hospital mortuary is well known to the people because its availability, especially for social services. The IJNTH laboratories in addition 4 processing  “Local Specimens” also  handle specimens (particularly in. the area of histopathology) from hospitals far and near.

Research

The University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital engages in constant research. Many of he medical consultants and resident doctors, i.e. those doctors studying for their post graduate qualification and engrossed in the constant search for better ways of health delivery and  the extensions of frontiers of medical knowledge.  But  nearly all  se researches are sponsored by organizations outside the country. The hospital would wish  to  sponsor  research  in  many  areas  very  relevant  to  our  people  life  and environment but the consumption of such desires have been hampered by lack of funds. The physical constraint at the present site of the hospital has made it possible for the needed expansion to be implemented.

Moreover, it was appreciated that the present site was developed and used as a general hospital hence it cannot cope with the challenges of a teaching hospital. The approval of the then, Federal Military Government for the construction of a new complex for the teaching hospital, no doubt came as a welcome relief. Today, the new site of UNTH which is located at Ituku-Ozalla (21 Kilometers from Enugu metropolis) is nearing completion.  Already, outpatient’s services have commenced at  the site in preparation for the commencement of full services. The hospital site covers an area of

200 acres and the entire parcel of land 306 hectares (747 acres) is hoped to assist in solving the accommodation needs of the present site once and for all.

Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki

The former Federal Medical Centre Abakaliki now Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki was established in the 1930s by the then colonial administration to serve as a casualty control post for soldiers wounded in the Cameroon theatre of the 2nd world war.   It   subsequently   became   the   Abakaliki   General   Hospital,   administered successively by the then Eastern Regional Government, the then East Central, Anambra, Enugu and finally Ebonyi States Governments.

By 1973, the Hospital had a full complement of Consultant Staff and was approved for training   of  House   Officers.   Subsequently,   the   facilities   deteriorated   and   the progressive loss of Consultant Staff as the East Central State was split into many States impacted adversely on the hospital services. Thus, accreditation for training of House Officers lapsed and services deteriorated to such an extent that the Hospital almost became moribund.

Following the agreement between the Federal government of Nigeria and the Enugu State Government, the General Hospital, Abakaliki was taken over by the Federal Ministry of Health as a Federal Medical Centre on March 1, 1990 with Dr. Ekuma Orji Uzor as the pioneer Medical Director.

With the takeover, the Hospital made tremendous progress, and assumed all the responsibilities of being a Federal Health Institution. Dilapidated facilities were rehabilitated in 1999, broken down equipments were repaired and modern equipments acquired. Two additional modern theatres were constructed and a modern neo-natal Unit commissioned. An ultramodern Casualty and Children’s Emergency Unit and a Resident’s Hall Complex were put in place as well as an Intensive Therapy Unit.

In 2007 Dr. Paul Olisaemeka Ezeonu, the erstwhile Head of Clinical services in the Medical Centre took  up the  mantle  of leadership  as the  Chief Medical Director. Following this, developments in every department of the Hospital went upscale and has remained so.

The Hospital now has Consultants in most Clinical Department and has been able to reactivate wards that were dormant because of death of Staff. Attendance has crept up steadily with outpatient load of about eight thousand monthly. Accreditation for the training of House officers have been granted.

On its part, the Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital was earlier established as a Specialist Hospital, Abakaliki, in the early 1980s. in 1996, following the creation of Ebonyi State and the take-off of the State University, the Specialist Hospital was converted to a Teaching Hospital to serve Ebonyi State University.

On 7th December, 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan in fulfillment of his election promise to Ebonyi people upgraded the Federal Medical Centre to a Federal Teaching Hospital and directed that Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital be absorbed into the new  mega Teaching  Hospital.  The  handover  process was completed on 23rd December 2011 including the absorption of the staff of the defunct EBSUTH.

The new Federal Teaching Hospital is indeed mega with retinue of Consultants in various specialties, 604 bed capacity distributed in various departments and a capacity for 250 House Officers. This foremost Health Institution which is one of its kind east of the Niger is continually improving in strength, structure and facility and has the establishment  of  a  School  of  Nursing  and  Midwifery  on  its  radar.  The  hospital complex of the School of Nursing and Midwifery billed to accommodate a total of

360. Student nurses is already completed.

The new hospital complex is designed as a one stop complex to accommodate various units and departments such as children’s emergency units and wards, Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) wards and units, administration department, consulting rooms and about sixty wards among others.

New structures constructed include resident  Doctors and House Officers’ quarters comprising several units of self-contained accommodations, medical records blocks, labouratories,  dental  clinics  and  several  other  facilities  with  modern  ancillary amenities to complement the structures. Other on-going infrastructional developments at the NEW FETHA arena included the ultra-modern auditorium with five thousand sitting capacity, a lecture hall to accommodate two-hundred comfortably seated persons, a library and E-library structure and an ultra-modern theatre.

According to the Architect handling the project Mr. Eric Adama, part of the on-going construction include reclamation of some parts of the area to control the ecological challenges being experience at the site.

Our Mission

To provide quality, accessible and affordable healthcare services; and effective training and research.

Our Vision

To  be  a  resource  centre  of  excellence;  offering  value-based,  patient-centred, innovative health and academic services that reflect global best practices

Hospital Policies

Serenity

Majority of hospital premises is meant to be quiet to avoid distraction and disturbing patients, all sorts of medium for noise should be cautioned like car horns and loud discussions.

Cellular Phones

The  use  of cell  phones  in  medical  area  where  patients  are  treated  with  medical equipment is very dangerous because of the risk of interfence or disruptions of the equipment performance. There should be areas for telephone calls and use of other devices.

Privacy

Federal teaching hospital is committed in protecting  your  medical information.  in regards with our effort to avoid your record disclosure we wish that you contribute in helping us fulfill our promises.

Patient Rights

Patients have the right to express concerns or complaints about their care with the assurance  that  the  quality  of  their  care  or  future  access  to  care  will  not  be compromised. You also have the right to expect a reasonable and timely response to your concerns.

We encourage you to address your concerns immediately to staff or managers of the specific department at the time of service so we can respond quickly to any concerns.

Hygiene

The Hospital environment should be kept neat and well maintained to avoid creating a media for breeding diseases which can go viral. also disposable equipments should be properly disposed to avoid the spread of contagious diseases.

Drivers

Please if you drive in to the hospital ensure that you drive cautiously to avoid the risk of hitting a handicaped or a patient in a very poor condition. Cars should be parked properly to  avoid  blocking the way which might  disrupt  our emergency services. There are wardens that will direct you where to park.

Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH)

The  hospital  started  as  a  community  hospital  Nnewi,  which  later  became  a Government  General  Hospital  in  1990.  The  General  Hospital  was  upgraded  to Anambra State University of Technology Teaching Hospital (ASUTECH) to offer clinical facility for the training of the students of Health Sciences and Technology. Its name was changed later to Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital {NAUTH}, which was taken over by the Federal Government in 1992. The School of Nursing is one of the training schools envisaged to cater for Health manpower development for the nation in line with the Federal Government  objectives for setting up Tertiary Health Institutions.

The School of Nursing  was officially established in October 2000. However, the preliminary preparation for its set up was started in April same year. By July 28th 2000, the school was officially commissioned by then Honourable Minister of Health, Dr.  Tim  Menakaya.  The  first  batch of students  (30students)  started their  normal lectures on October 2000 after the recruitment of the school staff. The staff of this believe that  the basic course in Nursing  is a formal education programme which should be based on sound educational principles. And hospital had about 355 bed multi annex complex providing  both specialized  and  comprehensive  medical care services  in  six  Local Government  Areas of Anambra State. It  is also  vigorously engaged in the vital functions of training and research.

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