The first female Emeritus Professor of Medicine, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Yetunde Olumide, has inaugurated the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) dermatology centre, to improve skincare outcomes in Nigeria and beyond.
Speaking at the inauguration on Thursday in Lagos, Olumide described the facility as “a centre of excellence for dermatology care”.
She said the new centre would enhance patients’ care outcomes, providing services for teaching, learning and training.
According to her, the centre being fully equipped with facilities needed for dermatology care, will serve as a global hub for research in dermatology and related fields not only for the hospital, but for Nigeria and beyond.
She said that the facility would help to sustain excellent international service to the community, while encouraging healthcare workers to practice in Nigeria.
“I’m overwhelmed with joy to be alive to witness this landmark achievement.
“I’m 83 years old, having worked at this facility several decades ago, at the time we were using the old facility; it was in such a dcrippled state, but we continued to give our services.
“All my mentes continued to give credible service, not knowing that this building will come up.
“That the Federal Government will deem it proper to provide such a befitting facility for dermatology services.
“When you treat a patient the ambience of the facility also matters. So, we are happy, the patients also will be happy and this will facilitate healing.
“No doubt, the provision of this facility will encourage those we trained to remain at home and not depart for greener pastures abroad,” Olumide said.
The Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Dr Wasiu Adeyemo, said the facility, being an annex of the hospital and the first of its kind in Nigeria, was fully equipped for comprehensive dermatology and rheumatology care.
Adeyemo explained that the three- floor building project was fully funded by the Federal Government as part of its Renewed Hope Agenda to increase funding for healthcare in Nigeria.
According to him, the structure aims to make oparetion comfortable for the numerous expertise, consultants, nurses, doctors and health workers that will be working in it.
He noted the facility was totally solar- inverter empowered, not depending on public power supply, saying that the hospital might even go the length of engaging Public-Private partnership to ensure that the facility would be well maintained and sustained.
“The intention is actually to change the narrative for Nigeria; making healthcare delivery attractive and comfortable.
“Apart from renumeration, another major reason people go abroad to practice is working equipment; everyone practicing in the facility will comfortable to work.
“The three- floor building has all the facilities for patients’ care, research and training, with its funding from the Federal Government budgetary appropriation.
“If we are going to reverse the Japa brain drain, we need to have facility like this.
“The caliber of patients that go for dermatology care is huge; many Nigerians go abroad for skin diseases, even for tooth extraction. So, having a facility like this fully equipped will attract a lot of people both from home and abroad,” he said.
A Professor of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Adebola Ogunbiyi, urged the Federal Government to prioritise dermatology care for improved services to many Nigerians with skin diseases.
Ogunbiyi also a Consultant Dermatologist and guest speaker at the event, said that skin disease impacts on productive and quality of life.
She said that skin diseases could be very stigmatising, noting that a lot of skin disorders and infections people had could be treatable.
“Skin diseases can be very stigmatising and can impact negatively on life and productivity of an individual. A lot of people dress because of the skin disease they have, and not because of what they want to wear.
“Some don’t even go out because of it, so, it affects the quality of life of the people that have it
“Virtually all the skin diseases are treatable, they can be managed if people go to the right place, engaging services of dermatologist.
“Unfortunately, people pay out-of-pocket for disease that is so stigmatising like skin disease, it shouldn’t be.
“Let the government pay attention to skin disease by including skin disorder care in the health insurance scheme so that people affected can easily have access to care,” Ogunbiyi said.
