Hundreds of residents of Ewatto and neighbouring Esan communities received free medical care on Monday as the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) took over operations of a new 62-bed ultramodern hospital at Idumu-Iyase, Ewatto, Esan South East LGA, Edo State. The hospital was built and donated by Chief Dr. Leemon Ikpea, CON, who requested that ISTH manage it in view of the hospital’s reputation for patient-centred specialist care. The outreach, organized with the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), marked the commissioning of the facility.
Over 1000 persons were screened, treated with drugs dispensed and referrals made. Services included general consultation, hypertension and diabetes screening, malaria testing, eye checks, maternal and child health services, health education, and free essential drugs. Patients needing advanced care were referred to ISTH and UBTH. ISTH led the exercise, deploying Consultant Physicians, Surgeons, Resident Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists, Laboratory Scientists and Public Health Officers. Support teams from Works, ICT, Publicity and Protocol, Security and staff of the CMD’s Office converted the new building into a functional centre with triage, consultation, pharmacy, laboratory and health education units.
In his remark, ISTH’s Chief Medical Director/CEO, Prof. Reuben Agbons Eifediyi, said “We will live up to the trust”. He then thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, for entrusting the hospital to ISTH. He pledged that the facility would deliver affordable, accessible specialist care to Esanland and beyond, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda and Universal Health Coverage. He also commended Chief Ikpea for his philanthropy and thanked UBTH for its partnership. He stated that the slogan of the facility would be “Patient is Supreme!”