by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
The Chief Medical Director, National Orthopaedic Hospital, Jos, Prof. Icha Inalegwu Onche, has disclosed that, the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Jos, is one of three hospitals signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in the final days of his administration. “We have similar hospitals in Benin and Jalingo,” he noted.
He made this disclosure on Monday, while briefing newsmen, when he added that, “This was established to ensure equitable geographical spread, especially in regions that didn’t have such specialized health institutions.”
He stressed that, “Although, the law was passed earlier, and they did not take off until he was appointed in 2023, especially for us here in Jos. It’s been a long-standing dream, a shared aspiration.
“And, today, that dream has become a reality. Let me start, in reverse order, by acknowledging those who made this possible. I thank God Almighty. It’s been a journey filled with challenges and what seemed like impossibilities, but God made today a reality.”
“I thank the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for appointing me as the Executive Medical Director of this institution, and also thank the Governor of Plateau State, Barr Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, who has been a tremendous pillar of support, who has taken a lead role in bringing us to where we are today.”
Prof. Onche further explained that, “The purpose of briefing journalists was to let the world know that we are here and that we are now open for services. For now, our services will be primarily outpatient, as we continue to set up.
“We are still putting our facilities in place to allow for full take-off in the next few weeks. When we complete staff recruitment and our teams settle in, we will commence full services as expected of us,” he stated.
According to him, “The facility was the old JUTH satellite site, which was abandoned for 14 years ago; but by 2023, it had been deserted for 13 years. The structures were dilapidated – roofs gone, ceilings collapsed. We had to renovate everything from scratch. We re-roofed buildings, fixed ceilings, and carried out full-scale renovations.
He stated further that, “The institution is purely orthopaedic. Orthopaedics deals with the bones, muscles, tendons, and related structures – the mechanics of movement. That’s our job.
“So, for example, we are not equipped to treat conditions like pregnancy – we don’t handle that. We’re not trained or set up to treat malaria, typhoid, diarrhea, hypertension, diabetes, or cough. These are outside our mandate. Such cases should go to primary healthcare centres, general hospitals, or tertiary institutions like JUTH.”
The Chief Medical Director further explained that their core focus is clear – treating fractures, trauma from accidents, hip and joint problems – anything related to movement, while their aim is to restore mobility. “That’s our function: to help you move again.”
Furthermore, he said, “Orthopedic care is extremely expensive. A hip replacement costs about ₦3.2 million, a shoulder replacement is around ₦7 million, a knee replacement is about ₦3 million. Even the most basic fracture care starts at around ₦300,000 and goes up from there. Yes, it’s super expensive – but we have to start somewhere.”
According to him, his budget for capital projects this year is ₦70 million. “That’s what Dr. Abubakar has been given. The amount is barely a drop, compared to what we actually need.”
He said, when they started, they were given an intervention fund of ₦400 million, saying, “JUTH was supposed to serve as a kind of ‘parent body’ to us; so, we visited them. That ₦400 million went into renovating this place to the state you see now.
“But, we needed more money, and we had to reach out to the contractor handling the project. If you give me ₦5 billion, I will give you a ₦5 billion hospital. There’s really no limit. But, for 2025, I only have ₦600 million – and that can’t even buy me two major equipment,” he stated.
Speaking on staffs’ recruitment, he said, “We have a waiver to employ 203 staffs in their first instance, and we have 134 senior staff and 65 junior staff positions. I’m proud to say, we’ve been very equitable. Every state is represented.”
He acknowledged former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, who initiated it by beginning with the process, and got the bill passed and signed by President Buhari on July 21, 2021. He added that the Speaker “has remained a steadfast supporter of this project.”
He also recognized the effort of Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, for his good leadership in the ministry; the Minister of State, Dr. Tunji Alausa, for all his support – both towards his appointment and even now. He equally appreciated Dr. Tunji Salako; the Chairman of Traditional Rulers the Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, and the CMD JUTH for their support.