by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
The Medical Director (MD) of the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Jos, Plateau State, Prof. Icha Inalegwu Onche, has bared his mind on the myriads of hurdles that had to be crossed before arriving at full service of the hospital.
While saying that, the National Orthopedic Hospital Jos currently have 736 registered patients, he noted that, about150 of them are awaiting surgery.
“The journey to this point has not been an easy one for us. It has been a huge milestone. The first major milestone was the approval of this hospital by the former President, who signed the Establishment Bill into law, on the 17th of July, 2021,” he said.
Briefing Newsmen on Wednesday at the Orthopedic Hospital Jos, the MD said, it took an additional two years, until May 2023, before he was appointed as the Acting Medical Director, saying, “These are indeed significant milestones for us.”
According to him, “The second milestone came when the Plateau State Government, under the leadership of the Governor and, in agreement with the Federal Ministry, allocated this portion of land to us.
“In fact, the entire parcel of land legally belongs to the hospital, but we have chosen to take it in bits-and-pieces from the State Government for convenience and to reduce liability. That was on the 2nd of July, 2024, that was the first region allocated to us.”
He explained that, “The entire area, stretching across Jos from this corner to that corner, belongs to us in principle. For this occasion, we have chosen a section of it to commence our services.
“The third milestone was my confirmation as the substantive Medical Director, on the 4th of November, 2024. So, this indeed is a major leap for us,” he noted.
According to him, “This is a regional hospital serving the North Central Zone, which comprises six states: Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, Niger, and the FCT.
“It could have been located anywhere within the region, but providence and the political process brought it to Jos, and for that, we are deeply grateful,” he stated.
He stressed that, “It has been a long road to get to where we are today. Honestly, I did not imagine that we would reach this stage so soon. To say that we are now open and ready for service is truly something to thank God for.
“It has been wonderful working with so many people from diverse backgrounds, and I want to acknowledge that God has made it possible for this day to come. God has led us each step of the way – both as individuals and as a management team.”
The National Orthopaedic Hospital, Jos, is essentially a single-specialty hospital focusing on musculoskeletal diseases and plastic surgery – two specialties merged into one. It is a hospital for humanity.
The MD equally acknowledged some people, who have helped them massively in this regard. Of these, he said, are: “President, under whose leadership the establishment law was signed; the ministers, Professor Ali Pate, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare; the Minister of State; and our Permanent Secretary, and Governor Mutfwang, who has been exceptionally supportive.”
He also acknowledged the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, members of the National Assembly, particularly Hon. Dachung Bagos, who has always been supportive, as well as other members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
He said, “The governor has been personally involved, constantly following up, asking questions, and even contributing funds to the project. The tarring of the access road you see outside was done by him, as well as the pavement works.
“Although, this is a federal institution, he has taken it as a personal project and an investment in the health of our people. For that, I am deeply grateful, and may God bless him.
“We have completed staff recruitment. The last time we were here, the workforce was quite sparse, but now, all departments are fully staffed; only a few are yet to resume because they had to give due notice at their previous places of work before joining us.”
He said, “Staffs have been wonderful; we recently concluded a five-day orientation programme to bring everyone on board with our mission and vision. We are very conscious of our environment and committed to introducing a new attitude to medical care, one built on love, empathy, integrity and, above all, compassion for our patients.
“JUTH has been a very big sister to us; and the Chief Medical Director has been most brotherly in every sense of the word. As a matter of fact, he was the one who convinced me to accept this position.
“Initially, I didn’t want to, but he reminded me that this is a public service I must render at this stage of my life. He stood by me all the way, from my appointment as Acting Medical Director, in 2023, to this moment, making this day possible.
“JUTH has also donated three of their machines to us, which you will see in our laboratory. The CMD has visited several times to advise us at every stage of our development. I don’t think it could have been better anywhere else. The synergy between us and JUTH will continue for a long time, for as long as this hospital exists.
“Other hospitals have also supported us. One private hospital donated some equipment to us, showing that, while we may come from different institutions, we are all working for the common good of humanity.
“There comes a time when we must leave politics behind and come together to serve – because, first and foremost, we are all humans.
“Nigeria is at a critical stage where we seem to have lost some of our humanity, but I believe we can bring it back. The ‘good old days’ can return – days when love, care, and compassion thrived among us,” he said.