National Obstetric Fistula Centre, NOFIC, BENIN CONDUCTS ONBOARDING EXERCISE FOR NEW EMPLOYEES

The National Obstetric Fistula Centre (NOFIC), a Federal Government-owned health institution in Benin City, has conducted an on-boarding programme for its newly-recruited employees. The employees were made up of permanent staff, contract, locum and absorbed staff from the Edo State public service.In his address at the event, the hospital’s Medical Director, Prof. Ileogben Sunday-Adeoye disclosed that the hospital is the fourth National Obstetric Fistula Centre in Nigeria, the others being in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State; Katsina in Katsina State and Ningi in Bauchi State. He added that the centre, which is to serve the people of the South-South Geopolitical Zone and beyond, would provide care for women leaking urine and faeces from the vaginal following childbirth and related conditions.Prof. Sunday-Adeoye expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for revalidating the establishment of the hospital. He was also full of appreciation to the Minister of Health and Social Welfare; the Minister of State for Health and the Government and People of Edo State whose collective support has resulted in the eventual take-off of the hospital despite all the teething challenges at inception. He informed the new employees that the vision of the facility is to be the foremost maternal care provider in the country with several training institutes in different domains of maternal health, stressing that its mission is to cultivate an innovative, disciplined, cultured and technology-driven workforce that is capable of delivering world-class services irrespective of constraints and with a solution-provider mindset committed to saving lives at all cost. The Medical Director disclosed that the hospital would be managed through a hybrid of public and private sector principles and concepts different from other hospitals, explaining that there would be zero tolerance to mortality of any sort, especially for maternal and neonatal mortality as staff would be held accountable for any lapses. According to him, “the hospital, apart from imbibing the culture of discipline, must also imbibe the culture of team work. While not encouraging laziness on the part of any staff, we must work together as an effective well-oiled team to provide excellent patient experience to every patient who crosses our gate for care”. Prof. Sunday-Adeoye assured the new employees of an open door policy, effective staff welfare, as well as opportunities for self-development and capacity building and warned them against indiscipline, corruption, stealing of government property and abuse of office. He charged the new staff, especially the Heads of Departments, to develop Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) manuals and performance matrix for each staff in every unit and department which would form a guide for the units and departments.The Medical Director, who also delivered a paper on Clinical Governance and Structure, emphasized that robust clinical governance is essential for maintaining high standards of care and ensuring accountability throughout all departments.The on-boarding programme featured a distinguished line-up of guest speakers who impacted practical knowledge across various facets of healthcare and administration.The Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Professor Stanley Okugbo, who spoke on Quality Patient Care and Accountability, asserted that quality patient care encompasses not only effective treatment but also dignity, empathy, and transparency in service delivery; while the Acting Director of Administration, UBTH, Mrs. Oyakhilomen who dwelt on Public Service Rules and the Culture of Discipline, explained that adherence to discipline and public service regulations is fundamental for fostering institutional trust and integrity.On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of Lily Hospitals, Dr. Austine Okogun, led a discussion on the Culture of Teamwork and Medical Excellence, pointing out that true excellence in healthcare is achievable only through a habitual commitment to teamwork.Other resource persons at the orientation programme were Mr. Endurance Uwadiae, of the Benin Medical Centre, who spoke on Customer Care and Conflict Resolution; Mr. Theodore Ehanire, the State Director of National Health Insurance Agency; and Dr. Scott Aigheyisi who dwelt on Procurement Principles and Procedures.The on-boarding programme was designed to enable the over 200 new staff familiarize themselves with the NOFIC’s mission, values, operational processes, and workplace culture, while also providing guidance for effective service delivery.The National Obstetric Fistula Centre (NOFIC), Benin City was recently established by the Federal Government to provide specialist medical services to women with fistula challenges as well as general maternal and paediatric care. It is located temporarily in Ugbor, Benin City.