- Assesses Chemical Pathology, Haematology, Medical Microbiology and Anatomic Pathology
- Says FMC Yola has an improved human and equipment capacity for continued postgraduate medical training in its entire medical laboratory departments
The most obvious and most oft-repeated commendation lies in the beauty, the tidiness and cleanliness of the Federal Medical Centre, FMC Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria, by every visitor and/or inspection and/or accreditation team.
A visitor once remarked that “the tidiness of your hospital, is to say the least, intimidatingly fascinating. It has been consistent since establishment. What a spirit and the philosophy of continuity in leadership!”
Additional commendation lies in the rapid expansion of the facility in terms of the machines and men that man the machines referred to as hospital equipment; what a steady growth and development seen as advanced achievements!
High powered delegation from the Faculty of Pathology – National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN) has visited FMC Yola, the purpose of which to reaccredit the laboratory departments of the facility.
The reaccreditation team led by the newly elected chairman, Faculty Board of Pathology, a Professor and Consultant Histopathologist from
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, Prof Olusegun Sylvester Ojo having commended the health facility for maintaining a tidy and cleaned environment, revealed that the facility has an improved human and equipment capacity suitable for continued postgraduate medical training in the entire of its medical laboratories.
The Chairman Faculty Board of Pathology, revealed this to the management of FMC Yola at the end of the accreditation exercise, which lasted for two days; Thursday 10th – Friday 11th February, 2022.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Medical Director, FMC Yola, Prof. Auwal Muhammad Abubakar revealed that the health facility was established in 1999, hitherto occupying the state specialist hospital in Jimeta, Yola North local government. It was later, in 2006, relocated to the present permanent site in Yola South local government, covering parts of college of nursing and midwifery and technical college.
Healthcare delivery services was started at the new site with 175 beds, which gradually and steadily improved to its current size of a 450 bed capacity and still counting with the expansion of the facility, which include 50-bed space at the department of psychiatry under construction.
Prof Auwal revealed that the health facility has benefitted from philanthropic interventions, such as the purposely built and fully equipped new maternity complex donated by Her Excellency Dr Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, the first lady, among other facility interventions by organisations and prominent personalities.
The hospital has also benefitted from the interventions of state government in terms of land for expansion and medical college, which has started admitting students at Modibbo Adama University, MAU Yola, the North East Development Commission, seen in the building and equipping of the burn centre and the Petroleum Equalisation Fund PEF intervention, seen in the hospital’s aggressive expansion, which include one storey building for haematology and chemical pathology departments. This will entail having an expanded microbiology department.
Prof Auwal added that all the clinical departments of the hospital with the exception of Opthalmology and ENT have gained – some partial, some full – accreditation for postgraduate, (Residency) training.
FMC Yola also run post basic nursing programmes. It has started with the postgraduate perioperative nursing, followed by postgraduate nursing in accident and emergency, having gained the accreditation to run the programmes by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and that plans are underway to establish postgraduate nursing in Burns and plastic, among others.
The team was impressed with the workforce at the Chemical Pathology, Haematology, Medical Microbiology and Anatomic Pathology Departments, some of whom are young and dedicated consultants.
The team noted the hi-tech equipment properly put in place, in addition to the offices accommodation, the e-library and e-medical record, which started, effectively and efficiently too, with the National Health Insurance NHIS service window.
The team was also impressed with cordiality between and among the members of staff of the hospital that made it possible to cultivate the spirit of teamwork, exemplified first by the representations at dinner organised in honour of the team and at the course of the accreditation exercise.
On the whole, the team remarked that FMC Yola, in terms of things required for training, has really made and excellent mark; new equipment and improved skills in addition to capacity development in terms of human and the ongoing projects.
Prof Auwal thanked the Faculty of Pathology – National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria for honouring the invitation. He commended the reaccreditation team for meticulous exercise, where he assured that all the recommendations would be looked into for implementation.
The reaccreditation incidentally came at a time the Federal Ministry of Health sent her team of Directors for another assessment, pursuant to the final approval for the conversation of FMC Yola to teaching hospital.
Prof Eshiotseme Sylvester Idogun – Pathologist, served as the secretary of the reaccreditation team. Other members include; Fatimah Abdulkareem Biade – Anatomic Pathologist, Prof Kennedy Wariso Tamunoimiegbam – Microbiologist, Prof. Ochaka Egesie – Haematologist, Prof Comfort Akujobi Nne – Microbiologist and Dr Kingsley Osuji Chinaedozi – Chemical Pathologist.