“On the 15th of December, we will commence implant surgeries. We have invited the resource persons and technical partners from Egypt. This will be the first of its kind at this Centre. When this starts, people that have hearing impairment will get the implant and they will start hearing.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended that African Countries establish ear care centres as a result of the high incidences of hearing deficiency in the region. Nigeria therefore established the National Ear Care Centre (NECC) in 1999 to be sited in Kaduna, as a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Health. The Centre’s key mandates include diagnosis and treatment of Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) diseases; coordination of research in the ENT challenges and training of specialists in ENT and other supporting fields.
However, the Centre began its operation at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) where its first Acting Medical Director, Professor Philip Okeowo was a staff. But on request for office accommodation, the Kaduna state government provided a five-bedroom bungalow as a temporary office in 2001. Two years later in 2003, the office became inadequate and the state government, again provided a space at the Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital, Tudun Wada in Kaduna. On the same vein, the Army Reference Hospital also provided space in the theatre for surgeries once in a week. These arrangements were temporary.
After the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) hitherto located in Tudun Wada Zaria was relocated to Shika, the Federal Ministry, in 2006 moved the Centre to occupy the former Psychiatric Department of ABUTH in Zaria. It had administrative offices, wards, theatre, radiology department, clinics, etc.
Leadership of the Centre
The leadership of the Centre began with Professor Philip Okeowo as the pioneer Medical Director. He acted from 1999 until 2002 when Professor Babagana Ahmad succeeded him. Professor was Medical Director until September 2013. For 11 years that Professor Ahmad was Medical Director, he did his best to improve the Centre, especially most areas of its mandate, including staff training, research, etc.
Dr Mohammed Mainasara briefly took over from Professor Ahmad from September to November 2013 and Dr Solomon Abimiku Labaran was appointed Acting Medical Director from December 1, 2013 to July 2014. Dr Aminu Bakari became a substantive Medical Director until his death on 26 June, 2017. Dr Umaru Grema held fort after Dr Bakari’s death until the appointment of Dr Mustapha Abubakar Yaro as the substantive Medical Director in August 2018.
Enter Dr Mustapha Abubakar Yaro
A Consultant Surgeon, Dr Yaro had his primary school education in Kaduna and his secondary school at Rimi College Kaduna. He then proceeded to the College of Advanced Studies Zaria between 1987 and 1988. He obtained his degree in Medicine from ABU Zaria, specializing in ENT Otorhinolaiyngology. He did his National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, at the Nigeria Navy School, Abeokuta, Ogun state. Dr Yaro did his Residency training at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and qualified as a Fellow of West African College of Surgeons, emerging Best graduating candidate of West African College of Surgeons in 2011. He has worked with Katsina state government from 2000 rising to the rank of Director Hospital Services at the Katsina state Health Services Management Board. He was a Medical Director at the General Hospital Katsina and Ingawa at various times. Dr Yaro has worked as a member of various health-related committees set up by both the state and federal governments. He is also a Fellow of the International College of Surgeons. Dr Yaro was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in August 2018 as the Medical Director of the National Ear Care Centre Kaduna.
Infrastructural development
Since his assumption of office, Dr Yaro is bringing his wealth of medical as well as administrative experiences to bear on the Centre to the accolades of all and sundry. He speaks:
“When I assumed office as the new Medical Director of the National Ear Care Centre, I looked at the position of the Centre – the infrastructure, the service delivery model and so forth. First, theatre operations were carried out only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays even though emergencies could be taken any day. That was not tenable in view of many factors including the growing patient base. I therefore introduced Mondays to Fridays as theatre days – meaning that every day is a theatre day. This has increased the number of surgeries that we do. We also increased the number of days we run radiological services.
“The same applies to other departments. We also tried to improve on some aspects of tests. Now, if you go to our labs, you will see that we have new laboratory equipments. Initially, we had analogue testing machines, which we have replaced with automated ones that run many tests within a short time. We have computerized our clinic services and our doctors no longer use paper but computers for diagnoses, etc. This has improved on service delivery, efficient record keeping and so forth. We have also computerized our revenue collection methods for proper record keeping of our accounts.
Among those infrastructure and amenities provided by the Medical Director include Center gate, laboratory equipment, computerised clinic services, computerised revenue collection system, School of Health Information Management System, modernised amenity wards provided with oxygen facilities, theater equipment, lecture hall (now under construction), tarred access road and much more.
“There were only two schools – School of Audiology and School of Post Basic ENT Nurses but we have created the School of Health Information Management System. We have already taken first set and they are about to write their exams. We created this school so that we can produce IT-compliant staff in conformity with the modern trend. We have also modernised our wards and provided everything necessary, including oxygen and other emergency drugs within the wards. We changed the beds to the most modern and renovated our amenity wards. Equipment in our theatre are now modern too. On the 15th of December, we will commence implant surgeries. We have concluded arrangement for the supply of the implants. After the surgery the deaf will have the opportunity to hear. This will be the first of its kind at this Centre. When this starts, people that have hearing impairment will get the implant and they will start hearing.
“On training, we have had two types – clinical and administrative training. One of our core mandates is research and training. We have resident doctors who are training to become consultant ENT surgeons. We have sponsored them to get trained. We sent one of our radiology technicians to India who is now in his second year. He will specialize in the technical aspect of interventional radiology. We have also sent one of our nursing staff to Kenya to specialize in Nursing Anesthesia.
“For other staff, during the 2018/2019, we sponsored about 100 staff to attend workshops at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. Two week ago. We sponsored about 40. We have also sponsored individuals to various courses and training within the two years I assumed office. We have organized trainings for our security personnel on issues of handling fire extinguishers, etc.
Currently, we are doing another research, which involves screening of new born babies to assess their hearing abilities. We want to see those that are born with hearing loss and what the causes are. We are conducting this research in collaboration with Kaduna state government at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital
“On research and development, we have published so many papers in both national and international journals. We have done a research on Diphtheria. This was propelled by the fact that last year, we recorded six deaths as a result of diphtheria. We conducted the research to look at the factors that came up with the rare but deadly disease. Currently, we are doing another research, which involves screening of new born babies to assess their hearing abilities. We want to see those that are born with hearing loss and what the causes are. We are conducting this research in collaboration with Kaduna state government at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital. Various departments at the Centre have conducted one research or another which we usually present at our national and international conferences,” Dr Yaro stressed.
Indeed, anyone who knows the National Ear Care Centre in the last three to four years will see that it is not the same now. He will see the transformation that has taken place. The structural development is superior compared to what obtained in the last few years. More so, the revenue collection in the Centre is transparent because the payment system has been computerized. The collection goes directly into our TSA account. The staffs do not handle money.
