Former Deputy Senate President,Ibrahim Mantu has decried the poor state of medical facilities at some hospitals located in the country’s six geo-political zones  which were conceived to serve as centres of excellence, particularly, the Jos University Teaching Hospital calling on the federal government to return the health institutions  to their  original design.

The former legislator made the plea at the 2017 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association of Resident Doctors, (ARD) JUTH Branch, which ended in Jos at the weekend.

At the AGM which has as its theme, “The New Physicians’ Pledge and its Role in Contemporary Medical Practice’’, saw Dr Paul Agbo returned as ARD president while Dr. Adagazu Simon, emerged as secretary general of the association.

Also, former deputy vice chancellor of the University of Jos, Professor Benjamin Ugwu served as guest speaker while Dr Shehu N. spoke on the sub-theme: ‘Monkey Pox and Other Emerging Diseases”.

Mantu, who was the chairman of the occasion said a situation where some common medical services such as chest x-rays and CT Scan among others can no longer be accessed in the hospital was unacceptable and goes to show the extent of neglect at JUTH by the authorities.

He recalled how he as deputy Senate President and highest political office holder from the North Central at the time, struggled to ensure that JUTH was included as one of the centres of excellence in order to meet the health needs of Plateau people and their neighbouring states.

According to him, the idea of establishing centres of excellence in each of the six geopolitical zones was for Nigerians to have access to high profile health care delivery which they travel abroad to access, with selected hospitals equipped with most modern medical equipment and the best hands in medical practice.

The former deputy Senate President however, expressed regrets that with the situation on ground in such centres of excellence, across the geopolitical zones, particularly in JUTH where nothing seems to be working, there is no doubts that the hospitals have lost the purpose for which they were established and called on the federal government to act quickly and reverse the ugly trend.

The newly elected president of the Association of Resident Doctors, Paul Agbo, in his acceptance speech expressed optimism that the theme for this year’s AGM would improve the health care delivery system in Nigeria when it comes into full operation while pledging to lead the association to greater heights under his tenure

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Mantu Decries Poor State Of JUTH, Others