AN UNNECESSARY CONTROVERSY OVER THE PLATEAU STATE UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL

AN UNNECESSARY CONTROVERSY OVER THE PLATEAU STATE UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL

BY MATHIAS YAKUBU

Sometimes certain decisions taken by any government, no matter how well intentioned, do unfortunately, assume some dimensions of controversy not necessarily because these decisions are, by themselves, controversial but because certain persons or groups make it appear to be so. One of such decisions, I do believe, was the award of the contract for the construction and equipping of the Plateau State University Teaching Hospital (PLASUT) Shendam, which was announced in the media sometime in May 2020 

I was therefore not much taken aback when I saw an article titled “Group Kicks at Siting of PLASU Teaching Hospital in Shendam” on page 27 of the June-July 2020 edition of “Evolution” a Jos based monthly newsmagazine. Curiously, the group under the auspices of Plateau Our Heritage (POH), rejected the decision of the Plateau State Government under the leadership of Rt. Hon Dr Barr Simon Bako Lalong to build a Teaching Hospital for the Plateau State University (PLASU) Bokkos in Shendam Local Government Area in the State. But for the reader to really have a grasp of all the issues cited in the said article it would perhaps be pertinent to go through the following relevant paragraphs in the article written by Dan Kura Maigemu:

The group making its position known in a letter signed by Hon. Alex Yola Kwapnoe, Chairman, and Hon. Ayuba Pam Dangwong, Convener said, though government is at will on where to site projects and Institutions where it deemed fit, the decision of the University Teaching Hospital has generated controversy considering the distance from the location of the State University which is in Bokkos LGA. 

The statement reiterates that “we call on the listening government to reconsider such decision as both Bokkos and Barkin Ladi Hospitals are centrally located and can be upgraded to accommodate the Plateau State University Hospital”.

The collective interest of the people and proximity to the University should be considered in the decision of where to locate the proposed Teaching Hospital to benefit majority of the people. 

The distance between Plateau State University (PLASU) Bokkos to the propsed Teaching Hospital in Shendam LGA may not enable it achieve its objective.  

It will be a welcomed idea if government establishes a second State University of Science and Technology or Education in Shendam LGA. Plateau State is endowed with great science and technological potentials, harnessing same will do the state good. 

“ We want to admonish government to invest considerably well in education and give greater attention to  existing institutions in the state in terms of infrastructural development, manpower and qualitative education” it adds. 

While I do not hold brief for the State Government not being a government appointee but humbly being only a public affairs commentator I find the reason cited by this group for its rejection of the siting of the Teaching Hospital at Shendam not tenable. It is not a hard and fast rule that Teaching Hospitals of Universities must be sited in the same area or location as the main campus.

 

Infact many examples of such abound in Nigeria in Federal, State and Private Universities. And these examples cut across first generation to third generation and even later generation universities. Interestingly, some of such University Teaching Hospitals are not even located in the States which host the Main Campuses of these universities. The following examples should suffice: 

University of Nigeria, UNN (established 1960); Main Campus located at Nsukka; Teaching Hospital at Enugu (Federal University).

Ladoke  Akintola  University of Technology LAUTECH (established 1990); Main Campus located at Ogbomosho in Oyo State; Teaching Hospital in Oshogbo, Osun State (University established by Old Oyo State now jointly owned by Oyo and Osun States).

Nnamdi Azikwe University (established 1992); Main Campus Awka, Anambra State; Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State (Federal University). 

Delta State University (established 1992); Main Campus Abraka, other campuses at Asaba and Oleh; Teaching Hospital at Oghara in Ethiope West Local Government Area. 

Bowen University (established 2001); Main Campus Iwo, Osun State; Teaching Hospital at Ogbomosho, Oyo State (owned by the Nigerian Baptist Convention). 

Nassarawa State University (established 2002), Main Campus Keffi; Proposed Teaching Hospital at Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital Lafia and; 

Bingham University (established 2005); Main Campus, Karu, Nassarawa State; Teaching Hospital in Jos, Plateau State (owned by ECWA Church).

There, indeed, is much precedent in the country in the siting of  University  Teaching Hospitals outside the main campuses of these universities, since Nigeria gained its independence  in 1960 as the above mentioned facts show. I therefore do not understand why the POH group would authoritatively state that “the distance between Plateau State University Bokkos to the proposed Teaching Hospital in Shendem LGA may not enable it achieve its objective”

If distance from the main campus is such an insurmountable problem I do not think all the Teaching Hospitals in the aforementioned Universities would have been  fully accredited by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) years back. In fact, as earlier noted, three of these University Teaching Hospitals are situated in States other than where their main campuses are located with even one of them actually located in Plateau Sate! Where the POH so boldly declared distance would pose a problem for PLASU Teaching Hospital! 

The Bingham University Teaching Hospital Jos is almost 300 kilometers away from its main campus at Karu in Nassarawa State. Surprisingly (for the POH) the distance between Bokkos and Shendam is just about half that. Incidentally, also, all these universities which were all established before PLASU,  with their Teaching Hospitals located outside their main campuses, have all been running smoothly since founded. 

I do not think it a waste of resources for the State Government to have sited the PLASUTH at Shendam, more so if that would help indigenes/citizens of the State residing in the more distant parts of the state not close to the existing University Teaching Hospitals in Jos (including the Proposed Karl Kumm University Teaching Hospital Vom) access specialized health care facilities quicker and faster. Some parts of the Southern Zone are at least three hours journey from the state capital Jos. Shendam, for the people of these areas, is a central location being close to all the Local Government Areas in the Southern Zone and, as well, relatively close to all the Local Governments in the Central Zone. This will be a win-win situation for all. Let us all look at the larger interest of Plateau. And for the records I am not from Shendam Local Government Area. I also am not of the Gamai ethnic nationality so I do not have any vested interest in whether the PLASUTH is sited in Shendam or not. I am only but a true son of Plateau who cares for my State and wishes it well. 

Yakubu is a publisher, author and public affairs analyst. He is based in Jos and can be reached on 08023757075.