Victoria Mgbanwa
The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the National Hospital Abuja, Professor Muhammad Raji Mahmud, has given assurance that the hospital will continue to provide excellent medical services to Nigerians as it marks its 25th anniversary.
He made this known during a press briefing in Abuja, where he also appealed to the government and stakeholders to support the hospital’s mission of meeting the healthcare needs of all Nigerians.
He said the hospital has achieved significant milestones, including the establishment of specialized departments such as psychiatry,
neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, and cardiothoracic surgery.
The CMD noted that the hospital is facing funding constraints and a shortage of medical personnel due to brain drain.
“The major constraint facing the hospital is the lack of funds to carry out routine and complete ongoing projects. The project include the stalled 200-bed ward expansion and the construction of additional facilities to accommodate increasing patient numbers.”
The CMD recalled that the National Hospital Abuja began operations on September 1, 1999, initially serving as a specialist hospital focused on the needs of women and children in Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
“However, the hospital’s mandate expanded in 2000 under President Olusegun Obasanjo, who renamed it to cater to patients of all genders.
“The National Hospital, Abuja was established as the National Hospital for Women and Children, by Act 36 of 1999. The 200 bed Hospital was formerly commissioned on the 22nd of May 1999 by the then Head of State, His Excellency, General Abdulsalami A. Abubakar. In the Year 2000 the then President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR renamed the Institution as National hospital which expanded its scope to now include all genders and children.”
He noted that the hospital introduced ò first public In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) unit in Nigeria, offering the service at the lowest cost compared to other public institutions.
“We have added clinical services that are on par with global standards. We have made advancements in cancer diagnostics, painless labor options, and high-tech medical equipment. The hospital also prides itself on being a leading center for endovascular therapy, bone marrow transplants, and regular open-heart surgeries.
He further highlighted that another pressing issue is the shortage of medical personnel due to brain drain.
“It has affected the hospital’s ability to maintain adequate staffing level. We are struggling with inadequate manpower as many of our medical professionals are seeking greener pastures abroad,” he added.
The CMD said plans are also in place for Presidential/VIP wing, which would attract high-profile patients from across West and Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as a multi-clinic and research lab complex.
“We aim to bring the National Hospital to its rightful position as the apex hospital in Nigeria”.
He further highlighted the hospital’s vision of becoming a quaternary healthcare institution with infrastructure and equipment that meets world standard, curbing medical tourism and brain drain.
