The Chairman, Board of Management, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Dr Ikechukwu Odikpo, has reiterated the need for regular health checks to prevent sudden deaths.
Odikpo made the call on Friday while commissioning the Clinical Arm of the Cardiovascular Research Centre and the Pharmacy Mini Production Unit at UATH in Gwagwalada.
According to him, cases of sudden death have increased in recent times, with more than half linked to cardiovascular conditions.
“When a man suddenly collapses, it is because the body has not been well maintained. We have a problem of not getting proper care, proper follow-up, proper investigation and proper screening for ourselves.
“You will soon see an activity we have initiated. By next year, you will begin to hear about what we call Conquer Sudden Deaths.
“Cardiovascular issues are challenges we must begin to educate people about—what to do and when to do the right thing—to remain healthy,” he said.
Odikpo described the commissioning of the Pharmacy Mini Production Unit as a dream come true and a major step toward boosting the hospital’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
He expressed satisfaction with the upgrade, noting that it was one of the projects he had pledged to complete before the end of the year.
“I give thanks to God and to our president for giving us renewed hope—an opportunity to use our initiatives, attract investors and improve the system,” he said.
The board chairman noted that the newly commissioned facilities placed greater responsibility on the hospital staff, particularly those in the pharmacy and cardiovascular centre.
The Acting Chief Medical Director (CMD), Assoc. Prof. Bob Ukonu, said the clinical arm of the cardiovascular centre would significantly improve healthcare outcomes in the country.
According to him, the centre will now generate and analyses data that will inform national health policies.
Ukonu said the centre, completed within three months, would help provide solutions to cardiovascular challenges affecting Nigerians.
He added that the Pharmacy Mini Production Unit would help reduce the cost of pharmaceutical products used in the hospital.
“The mini production unit will help drive down the prices of pharmaceutical products our patients rely on. It will also improve our IGR and reduce government spending on contract procurement.
“When we produce here, we can easily distribute within the hospital and use them. That has been the driving force behind what we are doing,” he said.
He disclosed that the renovation and equipping of the mini production unit, done through direct labor, cost less than N30 million, while the cardiovascular centre cost several hundreds of millions.
Head of the Pharmacy Department, Mrs Josephine Abiri, said upgrading the mini production unit would increase the quantity and variety of products produced there.
She noted that the unit currently produces more than 12 products the hospital would otherwise have procured externally, including bleach, paracetamol, methylated spirit and hand wash.
“After this commissioning, we are going commercial. Initially, what we produced was for internal use only. Now we want to sell to patients, staff and the public.
“This is a way of boosting the hospital’s IGR. It has been our dream, and it is now a reality,” she said.
Abiri thanked the CMD and board chairman for their support and assured that the department would use the unit responsibly to promote positive outcomes and strengthen the hospital’s revenue base.
Centre Director, Prof. Dike Ojji, said cardiovascular diseases could not be effectively tackled without robust research.
He stressed the need to produce research findings locally, rather than relying solely on studies from the U.S. or the U.K., given Nigeria’s different environmental and health conditions.
Ojji added that the centre would collaborate with other institutions and was now fully ready to commence clinical research and drug trials.
