Date: 2020-12-28

The Ilorin General Hospital has been accredited to train resident doctors after it was adjudged fit by the Faculty Board of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.

It was accredited to train resident doctors in family medicine, according to a correspondence from the West African College of Physicians.

The accreditation, which is the first in the history of the state's premier general hospital, followed its fulfillment of several criteria such as relevant equipments needed for such postgraduate training.

In a letter dated December 10, 2020 and addressed to the Chief Medical Director of the Ilorin General Hospital Dr. Ahmed Abdulkadir, the College Registrar Dr Owoidoho Udofia said the accreditation was based on the report of its accreditation visitation panel which certified the programmes and facilities of "your hospital for training Residents in Obstetrics and Gynaecology."

"Senate approved that your institution should awarded partial accreditation for two years to train 15 Resident Doctors; four Senior Residents and 11 Junior Residents with effect from 9th October 2020," it reads.

The accreditation for family medicine followed an assessment of the General Hospital by the accreditation team of the West African College of Physicians.

"Sequel to the report of the accreditation team that visited your institution on the 5th October 2020, the Council on behalf of the West African College of Physicians, sitting on the 1st November, 2020, granted your institution temporary accreditation for 2 years to train residents (18) membership and (9) fellowship," according to a letter signed by the College's Secretary General Dr Albert Akpalu and addressed to the CMD of the General Hospital.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Health Matters Professor Adekunle Dunmade said the accreditation reflects the investments the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has made in the health sector, including in the General Hospital which is fast "regaining its old glory."

"Before you can have a postgraduate College to say you are okay to train postgraduate doctors, you must have met some minimum standards and that is what we have met and that is why we have the accreditation to train postgraduate doctors in specialisation in family medicine and O&G.

"It is not a small achievement, some teaching hospitals lose their accreditation if they fall short of the standards expected of them, so this is a great plus to this administration," he said.

"We have some specific equipments that were not there before that are now there. The organisation of the hospital is also a very important issue.

"Before now, you had to go to the central laboratory to do certain investigations but we now have side laboratories within the clinic. These are some of the yardsticks to monitor. Then the record system is now decentralised, among many other criteria already satisfied."

Dunmade said the administration has clearly raised the bar in the health sector, including resuscitating the labour Ward theatre of the General Hospital with anaesthetic machines, resuscitaire, multiparametre monitors, and oxygen concentrators - which were not available before.

"A high dependency unit was established fitted with means of delivery of 100% oxygen, multiparametre monitors, suction machines and two ICU beds; fetal assessment unit was set up with a cardiotocograph and a standby ultrasound machine within the maternity complex," he added.