From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
Kogi state government has finally handed over the newly established Diagnostic Centre to the management of the Specialist Hospital, Lokoja to boost smooth diagnosis of various diseases.
The Centre which was established in 2015 to serve as a centre for the investigation of strange and critical infections and diseases, has remained idle since then, due to some administrative and logistic reasons.
Chief Medical Director, Kogi state Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, Professor Yahaya Isa Adagiri, disclosed this while conducting members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kogi state Council, who were on facility tour of the health institution round.
The tour was part of the activities put in place by the NUJ to mark this year’s Press Week in Kogi state.
Prof. Adagiri said the Hospital has now assumed its nomenclature with improved facilities and staff provided by the present administration to meet up with the requirement of a tertiary hospital.
He explained that Radiology and other laboratory equipment in the hospital have been transferred to the Diagnostic centre to enhance services.
According to the Chief Medical Director, the hospital can now boast of 20 Specialist Doctors and more would be recruited along with other categories of staff.
He also revealed that the “out of stock” syndrome of drugs associated with some hospitals has become history with the government’s approval for the hospital to generate and manage resources, without resorting to the Treasury Savings Account (TSA).
While appreciating the efforts of Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration in improving on the facilities at the hospital, the Chief Medical Director, assured that the entire staff will reciprocate the gesture by being committed and dedicated to their duties.
He said that though the Specialist Hospital Lokoja is a tertiary medical institution, secondary and primary cases are treated as it has the equipment and trained personnel that handles them.
Responding, the Chairman of NUJ, Kogi state Council, Comrade Adeiza Momojimoh congratulated the State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, for the wonderful achievements recorded.
He, however, expressed dismay over the poor relationship between Government agencies and the press in Kogi state.