By Abdulkareem Haruna

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Professor Ahmed Ahijo, has announced the commencement of the institution’s 40th anniversary celebrations, which had begun with prayers on Friday and Sunday.

UMTH, originally established as a Specialist Hospital by the Northeast Nigeria government under the vision of Professor Jubril Aminu, was taken over by the federal government in 1973 and transformed into a Teaching Hospital. The institution was officially commissioned on July 23, 1983.

The CMD remarked at a press conference that the impact of the hospital’s service to the community is vast and hard to measure. The hospital’s mandate includes clinical research, training personnel, and conducting research.

He said despite the COVID-19 pandemic, UMTH remained open and continued to serve patients not only from Northeast Nigeria but also from neighboring Chad, Cameroon, and Niger.

UMTH, which houses seven schools including nursing, biomedical engineering, and health information management, collaborates with the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) to train doctors. The hospital’s leadership has had a major role in heading tertiary health institutions in northern Nigeria, excluding one.

At its 56th meeting, the Board of Management decided to commemorate the hospital’s 40th anniversary. A Local Organizing Committee (LOC), chaired by Prof Shehu Liberty, has been constituted to orchestrate the celebration.

An outreach program offering free medical services to at least 500 patients is planned. Designated centers in Kalari and Gwange wards will provide free clinical services and medication. Additionally, a free surgical outreach is scheduled from July 17, with all required drugs provided at no cost.

The LOC urges all potential beneficiaries to utilize these services.

Recognizing the critical role of manpower in healthcare, career guidance, and counseling sessions will be held in selected secondary schools, conducted by the hospital’s medical personnel.

A public medical lecture focusing on the hospital’s advanced services will be delivered by the first Indigenous CMD of the hospital, Professor Idris Mohammed, an interventional radiology expert, and former Nigeria labor leader, Ayuba Waba.

The main ceremony will take place on Sunday, July 23, with the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima, expected to be in attendance as the special guest of honor, and Governor Babagana Zulum as the chief host. The Shehu of Borno is the designated Royal Father of the day.

As part of the anniversary celebrations, foundation laying for a new Heart Disease Center and a Health Informatics Center will be initiated. Landmark projects including a 150-bed Child Center (Child Institute), the largest in Nigeria, Histopathology Extension, a Radio Extension, and a new 160-capacity student hostel will be commissioned.

The CMD noted that the UMTH has grown from a 630-bed capacity in 2018 to 1200 beds currently, making it the largest teaching hospital in Nigeria.