Following the opening Ceremonies, the interactive meeting got right to business for the day. That is a presentation on “ Avoiding Medical Negligence” by the guest speaker, Barrister Ebenezer Egwuatu. During his lecture, he emphasized the importance of avoiding medical negligence in order to prevent “bad things from happening and failure to give enough attention or care to patients.” He went on to say that consultants and medical physicians diagnose, treat, protect patients’ lives, obtain information from them, and have an obligation to maintain confidentiality. The presentation also addressed concerns of neglect, such as inability to effectively diagnose and monitor patients, some times ineligible handwriting, inappropriate treatment, and poor surgical out comes.
Barrister Egwuatu emphasized that if care is not taken, negligence can create problems for the hospital, which might result in litigation and civil liability, for which the hospital would be held liable, and criminal liability, even via damage, could be rewarded. According to Barrister Egwuatu, consultants and medical doctors should “respect the patient as a king, update his or her professional skills, document and keep a proper record of the history of drugs, refer patients to a specialist, and manage patients well.”
Professor B.A. Ekele, the chief Medical Director, praised the consultants and gave them high marks for optimal performance in his mid-term report. He stated that his administration has witnessed radical infrastructural and human resource development in training and research, citing the example of seven newly trained consultants in histopathology, medicine, and radiology. He also stated that his administration has accomplished two surgical outreach programs and received goodwill from NLNG, FERMA, and FCT Senator Philip Aduda, to name a few.
Professor Ekele also assured the team of medical consultants that the Obstetrics & Gyneacology, Community Medicine, Laboratory, and Medical Emergency departments would be accredited between July and December 2023, adding that more medical equipment is expected before the end of December 2023, and the Obstetrics & Gyneacology, Female Medical Ward, and Female Surgical Ward have been renovated and furnished as models.
The CMD stated that “the kids or theatre two on the second floor of the Trauma Centre will be commissioned in six weeks,” adding that his administration has made provision for short-term courses for Fellows and the first set of B.sc Nursing Students who are currently collaborating with the University of Abuja. Professor B.A. Ekele also requested the team of consultants to pray for the departments of Medical Microbiology and Chemical Pathology. He closed by thanking the consultants for their “high volumes of dedication to duty.”
The presentation by the guest speaker, Barrister Egwuatu, and the CMD’s 2023 mid-term report, which was an interactive session, were both attended by Consultants,Management, and some UATH personnel.