A SUCCESSFUL APPRECIATION DAY OF CHUKWUEMEKA ODUMEGWU OJUKWU UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL AMAKU, AWKA.

On Friday, 20th of December, 2024, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital Amaku, Awka, organized appreciation day for workers and individuals of good will who have been contributing in one way or the other towards patients' welfare in the health institution. In his opening speech, the Chief Medical Director of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital Amaku, Awka, Hon. Dr. Josephat Akabuike disclosed that the event was initiated to encourage workers to always maintain right attitude to work which is very essential in maintaining quality health care service delivery in COOUTH.

Dr. Akabuike while presenting the 2024 Annual Report of the Teaching Hospital to the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Ernest Ezeajughi who represented the Governor, His Excellency, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo CFR, appreciated the efforts of Anambra State Government under the transformational leadership of His Excellency, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo CFR, the Executive Governor of Anambra State towards uplifting the face of the Teaching Hospital.

Dr. Akabuike revealed that the goal is to build a first class medical tourist center in Sub-Saharan Africa in COOUTH where people from different parts of the world and from different walks of life would have access to first class medical treatment. He went on to enumerate how far the health institution has gone especially under his administration to ensure that quality health care services is available to the patients in the teaching hospital. He insisted that the only responsibility of the hospital and the health workers is to save life which must not be compromised in COOUTH

In his own part, the Executive Governor of Anambra State, ably represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Ernest Ezeajughi, said that Anambra State government is not ready to soft-pedal in uplifting the standard of medical health care available for people in Anambra State. He noted that in addition of what has been done in Amaku including the ongoing Trauma Center which over N200 million has been mapped out for equipping it, more is in the pipeline. He appreciated the efforts of the Management in organizing such an event to appreciate the workers for exhibiting right attitude to work. He called for inclusivity in this exercise as no staff, no matter how low the office is, should be excluded.

Furthermore, the Anambra State Head of Service, Barr. Theodora Igwegbe revealed her encounter with the Teaching Hospital, saying that her experience is a memorable one. She confessed that COOUTH is a place to receive first class treatment. According to her, the day she came to COOUTH, she did not perceive any odour in the hospital. She wondered whether this is a hospital in this part of the world. For her, hospitals in this part of the world are always known with offensive odours. Shockingly for her, COOUTH is a different case all together.

Barr. Igwegbe went further to thank the Management of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital Amaku, Awka, ably led by  Hon. Dr. Josephat Akabuike, for the administrative excellence visible in the way the hospital is being run. She stated that the efficiency in the administration of the hospital is not limited to the neatness of the hospital, it extended to the way patients are taken care of. Barr. Igwegbe moved on to nominate Mr Chukwudi Ekweanu of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital Amaku, Awka, for Anambra State Public Service Award following her own assessment of the staff in the department of Radiology.

The event has in attendance some personalities from different walks of life including the State Commandant of Federal Road Safety Corps, Joyce Alexander Nnennaya, the Pioneer CMD of COOUTH, Prof. Lawrence Ikeako for his tremendous contributions towards what the hospital has become. While thanking the Management, the Provost of College of Medicine, COOUTH, Prof Ikeako highlighted the brief history of the hospital and the important achievements of Dr. Akabuike's led administration. Other awardees included Chief Azubuike Ekweozor who in appreciation declared "operation go home for Christmas" for some discharged patients that are still in the hospital because of financial constraints with a pledge of N5 million. Other awardees also expressed their heartfelt gratitude and commitment towards COOUTH by donating towards the course of "operation go home" for some indigent patients. The closing remark was made by the CMAC, Dr. Nnaemeka Umedum.