The many advantages conferred on him via higher education, like an improved standard of living, ability to compete globally and affect the lives of others, made him realise that the most essential legacy he could leave for future generations is accessible quality higher education. These in addition to his experience as a pro-chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), revealed to him the inadequacies of government-owned universities; hence he decided to establish a model institution. Today, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), founded by legal icon, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), in less than 10 years, has won laurels in academic and extra curricula activities.
But law is not the only study being promoted by the school given that its proprietor, who teaches courses in Law of Evidence and Leadership, is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. Students are also familiarised with entrepreneurial education and agriculture as a way of encouraging them to develop interest in agriculture and to be self-reliant.
During its third convocation ceremony, Chief Babalola gave some
start-up capital to graduates of agricultural science. His explanation was: “I don’t want them to roam the streets looking for employment. They have been well groomed and that is a way to encourage them to start their own ventures.”
A most interesting development in this university which offers academic programmes in six colleges: College of Sciences, College of Law, College of Engineering, College of Social & Management, College of Medicine & Health Sciences as well as College of Post-graduate Studies,
“According to Chief Babalola, Nigerians can’t afford to spend so much on medical tourism, and I have faith that this partnership will make the country one of the leading nations in healthcare services.”
is the construction of an ultra-modern 400-bed Multi System Hospital, reputed to be one of the best of its kind in Nigeria.
Extremely impressed, the Chief Medical Director (CMD), University Teaching Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, Prof. Temitope Alonge, enthused: “I have worked in many hospitals both here in Nigeria and in Europe. This hospital beats most hospitals where I have worked in Europe.
“This surely will be the answer to outward medical tourism. With what is here in this hospital, there is no reason why any of our doctors should want to go abroad for their Sabbatical. All they need is here.” Still topping its game, ABUAD has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Aster Group of Hospitals in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The partnership, according to Chief Babalola would make the University Teaching Hospital and the Dubai based medical institution to sign a pact in the areas of training, consultancy, offering of technical expertise and in medical administration.
According to Chief Babalola, “Nigerians can’t afford to spend so much on medical tourism, and I have faith that this partnership will make the country one of the leading nations in healthcare services.” On how he got the health facility to this stage, he said: “About five years ago, we applied to the NUC for licence to commence a College of Medicine. They told us that unless we have a hospital for clinical exercises and services, they wouldn’t grant us the licence. We approached the Federal Government to allow us use the medical centre at Ido, but we were told it is not a hospital, and if we intended using it, then we had to upgrade the place. We spent about N3b to upgrade the facility, putting up new structures and equipment.
“After completion of the upgrading, the then Minister of Health signed a Memorandum of Understanding with us, because the place has been upgraded to the status of a teaching hospital. So, our students went there. Unfortunately, the virus killing Nigeria crept in.
“Doctors, consultants and other health workers who are government employees went on strike without minding the MoU we signed with government. After pleading with them, they resumed to work. Few months after, they went on another strike. Within six months, they were on strike about four times.”
The N50b health facility said to be a permanent solution to outward medical tourism, first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa, sits on six hectares of land, and has nine blocks, each consisting of four floors, while the middle block has five floors, creating a total of 37 floors.
While 24-hour electricity and water supply are taken for granted, there are five elevators and ramps to assist movement of people within the hospital that has its own oxygen plant house, where it generates its medical gas.
On the proposed management of the hospital, Babalola said: “We need to give it an international flavour, which is why there will be foreign doctors, nurses and laboratory scientists working with Nigerian experts. And very soon, our people will learn that Nigerian doctors are as good as their foreign counterparts.
“We don’t want to make it just a hospital, but a teaching place, a learning place, a research centre, and of course, an international healthcare centre. We are aware we can achieve that not by mere declaration, but by action.
“Hence, we entered into a special relationship and partnership with Aster Hospital in Dubai. This is a hospital with international reputation. They came here and they were marvelled at the huge investment, and they agreed to cooperate with us.
“The most important aspect of any hospital is the laboratory. Most Nigerian hospitals don’t have modern laboratory equipment. We have entered into agreement with Abbot Laboratories of the United States, who are adjudged the best in the world.
“So, instead of just supplying us with the equipment, which may not be managed properly or becoming obsolete, they will also install, manage, service and render service to the patients. With that, we have solved the problems of many Nigerian hospitals, where though laboratories are installed, but they won’t function. They will take 60 per cent of the profit, while we take only 40 per cent.
“We also have arrangement with other healthcare suppliers in the world, including Nurella of India. They are the one installing Prematic Tube, which is the first of its kind in this part of the world. It services all the 37 points in the hospital within 60 seconds. If you need blood now, you will get it in less than a minute or you want to send any sample to the lab, it gets there within a minute. Besides we have state-of the-art five modular theatres where no air comes in to avoid infection. We have all equipment needed for scanning, including 2017 model of MRI.” L&S
