The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi Dr Mohammed Alkali has urged doctors at the trauma unit of the hospital to always attend to patients seeking emergency care emphasizing that it is their inalienable rights in the new national health act.
Alkali who was speaking on Friday during end of the year award ceremony to outstanding staff and departments organized by the Clinical Activities Coordinating Committe (CACC) of the hospital said the national health act which is recently signed by President Muhammadu Buhari into law stipulated that it is the responsibility of the health institutions and governments to fund emergency health care services.
He stated that even if there is no adequate space at the trauma unit, the doctors should make sure that there is no life threatening situation as at that time.
“It is a right of patients to have emergency care. If you can’t render services for whatever reasons, you must document it. If you don’t have space, there is nothing you can do. But you have to make sure that there is no life threatening situation as at that time.
“If there is life threatening situation, it must be addressed and then give appropriate referral elsewhere”. He told the doctors.
The Chief Medical Director however said that plan is under way to upgrade the trauma centre so that it can attend to up to 40 patients at the same time.
Other projects to be carried out by the hospital according to him are upgrading of the psychiatric unit and establishment of infectious diseases unit among others.
In his remarks, Secretary of the Clinical Activities Coordinating Committee (CACC) Abdulrazak Toyin explained that the annual awards were aimed at boosting staff morale and enhancing productivity in the hospital.
He noted that the awards and prizes were presented to beneficiaries for punctuality, hard work and dedication to duty.
Toyin also revealed that two staff of the hospital have died while 19 others including 16 nurses, one community health technician, one medical laboratory scientist and an administration officer have retired within the year.
