The Chairman of the Governing Board of Management, Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Asaba, Dr. (Mrs.) Mary Alile Idele, has reaffirmed her commitment to improving the hospital’s infrastructure, staff welfare, and overall service delivery in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Dr. Idele, who was recently appointed by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in January 2025, embarked on a familiarization tour of FMC Asaba to assess its current state and engage with key stakeholders.
During her visit, which included interactions with top management staff, heads of departments (HODs), union representatives, and general staff, also emphasized the importance of strategic planning to enhance healthcare delivery at the institution.
Impressive Developments and Commitment to Excellence
Speaking with journalists on Wednesday March 5, 2025, after an extensive tour of the facility, Dr. Idele commended the hospital’s leadership and staff for their dedication to providing quality healthcare.
“I deem it very fit and proper to come to FMC Asaba and familiarize myself with the TMC, which is the top management staff, with the HODs, with the unions and of course, with the general staff of FMC Asaba.
“And it’s also very necessary to take a look at the hospital and do a sort of analysis of how they are doing..Understand the history of the center, when it was founded, where they are coming from, where they are right now with assets, with infrastructures, with provision of healthcare and then of course to strategize our way forward.
“We must understand that the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, cuts across healthcare as well and like the saying goes, health is wealth and FNC Asaba.
“I have been here now since on Sunday and I must say that I am pleasantly surprised by the unique movement of the speed which this center has developed.
“I have just been on a tour around some of the facilities interacting with some of the staff on ground looking at the patient care and I must say that I want to personally applaud the management staff of this Centre, the doctors, the nurses up to the junior staff in this place. You can see that the whole facility is clean and they provide top-notch health care here.
“This afternoon, I just visited the neonatal and maternity ward, fantastic. They have the equipment, they have the manpower, they’re training doctors, they are training nurses. I must say that I am pleasantly surprised at the level of development here.
“The speed at which this center has grown is commendable. I have toured the facilities, interacted with staff, and observed patient care, and I can confidently say that FMC Asaba is providing top-notch healthcare,” she stated.
She particularly highlighted her visit to the neonatal and maternity wards, where she saw firsthand the availability of modern equipment, well-trained personnel, and a high standard of patient care.
“The hospital has the manpower and training capacity to produce well-equipped doctors and nurses. I also visited the College of Nursing in Oniche-Uku, and was impressed by the first-class facilities and conducive learning environment.
“Yesterday, I visited the College of Nursing in Oniche-Uku, and you just need to go and see what’s going on there. Those are first-class facilities. And they have first-class training equipment, the building, fantastic, I mean, it was a serene environment”, she added.
Dr. Idele further commended the Medical Director of FMC Asaba, Dr. Victor Osiatuma, describing his leadership as instrumental to the hospital’s progress.
“And I want to particularly congratulate the top management staff, and especially the MD. I must say that he’s done very well. We have a lot of facilities as well that are not completed”.
Unfinished Projects and the Need for More Funding
While acknowledging the progress made, Dr. Idele also pointed out several ongoing projects that remain incomplete due to insufficient funding.
“There are many buildings that are still at 60% completion, and we need continuous funding to ensure they are completed and put to use.
“A lot of buildings that are not completed are 60% still ongoing. And we want to continually plead like Oliver Twist, we must continue to ask for more. We plead that we continually get enough funding to complete these facilities that are near completion,” she said.
She likened the hospital’s need for resources to the famous “Oliver Twist” analogy, emphasizing that requests for more funding will not cease until all necessary infrastructures are in place.
Prioritizing Staff Welfare for Better Service Delivery
Recognizing that healthcare workers are the backbone of any medical institution, Dr. Idele assured the staff of her commitment to their welfare.
“A happy staff delivers better service. As Board Chairman, one of my key goals is to enhance staff welfare by identifying gaps, addressing concerns, and ensuring they have all necessary resources to perform at their best,” she affirmed.
She shared a touching example of how the hospital’s neonatal unit recently received and successfully managed twin babies born at just 24 to 26 weeks, further reinforcing the need for continuous improvements in infrastructure and equipment to sustain such medical feats.
“Generally, the staff here are happy, satisfied. We looked at the staff welfare as well. Of course, we can do better. And while sitting here as a Board Chairman, one of my aims and one of my goals is to look at the staff welfare because the happy staff will work better.
“Look at the things that we need, look at the things that we are lacking, and look at how to ensure that our staff continue to provide the best healthcare possible to all the people.
Advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda in Healthcare
Dr. Idele reiterated her commitment to aligning FMC Asaba’s operations with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, ensuring that healthcare delivery in the facility meets global best standards.
“We must continue to invest in first-class infrastructure, state-of-the-art medical equipment, and staff training to deliver the best healthcare services possible.
“FMC Asaba is already on the right track, but we must push further to ensure we fulfill the vision of the Renewed Hope Agenda in healthcare.
“”And across Delta State, for that matter, just heard in the neonatal ward that people come across even as far, and somebody said as far as Enugu and they brought a twin baby that were 24, 26 weeks old.
“And that is major, that is huge. So we must continue to see that we have first-class infrastructures, first-class equipment, to be able to do the work that we are set to do
so that we are able to deliver on that agenda of his president of this country, the Renewed Hope Agenda in Health Matters,” she concluded.
Her visit has fueled optimism among staff and stakeholders, with many looking forward to positive transformations in the hospital’s operations, funding, and service delivery.
