Facilities At Maitama Hospital Are Overstreched -MD

The Medical Director, Maitama District Hospital, Dr Francis Alu, said in Abuja yesterday that facilities in the hospital were over stretched.

Alu, who is also the chairman of the hospital, told newsmen that more HIV and AIDS patients were now seeking treatment from the hospital.

The medical director, however, expressed regret that facilities were inadequate to attend to them.

He said that both the equipment and personnel in the hospital were overwhelmed daily by the challenges.

“The staff strength here cannot cope with the increasing number of patients coming to access treatment and the fact that Maitama Hospital is a  compressive centre for HIV and AIDS makes the hospital overcrowded.

“To this effect other centres are being flagged off in Nyanya, Gwagwalada and other centres within the FCT to decongest the Maitama centre”, he said.

Alu said the accsessment of free treatment for the pandemic in the hospital had led to overcrowding.

He, however, said that the influx of people into the hospital did not indicate an increase in the infection.

“People are now aware and are coming out to access treatment, this makes it look like the number of infection is on the increase but that is not the case”, Alu said.

He said that people were dying in the villages because they were not able to access treatment and counselling.

The medical director said that the US government was assisting in the support of such vulnerable groups in the country.

Alu said that Amb, Eric Goosby a US AIDS Coordinator worldwide, who was in the country recently, visited the hospital to assess the impact of the funding from the US to fight against the pandemic.

He said that Goosby was at the hospital because it was a comprehensive centre for HIV activities chosen to showcase what has actually been happening as a  result of this partnership between the US government and the Nigeria government in the fight against HIV and AIDS”, he said.

According to Alu, the visiting ambassador was happy with what he saw and pledged a continued partnership in the programme.

According to Alu, Goosby interacted with People living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) and assured them of more benefit from the partnership.