By: Gbenga Akingbule
Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, on Friday led top government functionaries to commission the 400- Bed Kashim Ibrahim University Teaching Hospital (KIUTH), a world-class medical institution designed to enhance specialist healthcare, medical education, research and reduce the need for residents to seek treatment outside Borno State.
Gatekeepers News reports that the KIUTH is among the landmark projects executed by the over seven-year administration of Governor Babagana Zulum to transform the healthcare sector and provide residents with access to modern medical facilities and specialised treatment.
Vice President Shettima, who commissioned the hospital in Maiduguri, the state capital, commended Governor Zulum for prioritising the healthcare needs of the people, noting that the facility would not only improve access to quality medical services but also serve present and future generations.
According to Shettima who described the hospita as a “humongous masterpiece”, said KIUTH represents a significant investment in the healthcare sector by the Zulum’s administration, adding that its facilities would improve access to specialised medical services and ease the burden of seeking specialised healthcare outside the state
” The Teaching Hospital will bring a specialised tertiary care closer to our communities. For a family’s burden by illness, the cost and anxiety can compound their suffering .
“This hospital offers the prospect of expert attention nearer home. It also includes the training of healthcare professionals and medical research so that the knowledge acquired here can strengthen healthcare for generations to come .’ VP Shettima said .
The 400-bed Kashim KIUTH is equipped with 13 specialist departments, including diagnostic, medical, surgical, emergency, pediatric, internal medicine, physiotherapy, among others.
The hospital also features a medical college complex, a students’ hostel, a 200-unit staff housing estate and an oxygen plant complex, which were also commissioned by the Vice President.
The facility has modern diagnostic equipment, including a sophisticated 1.5-tesla MRI scanner, a 160-slice CT scanner, three conventional and two mobile X-ray machines, three 4D ultrasound machines, a fluoroscopy system for real-time imaging and a digital mammography machine.
The Vice President also inaugurated a mega school built by the Prof. Zulum-led administration as part of efforts to improve access to quality education and provide a conducive learning environment for pupils and students in the state.
