Exclusive Interview
The Chairman and Chief Medical Director of the Sckye Hospital and Diagnostics Ltd, Dr Thomas Wilson-Ikubese (TWI) speaks with the PATH NEWS on the multi millions Naira Hospital facility recently commissioned in the capital city of Ondo State, Akure. Except:
What is the concept behind Sckye Multi million Naira Medical facility situated in Akure?
Firstly, I give glory to God. The whole concept is basically to provide high standard of care in an environment; that has been the dream, quality care, quality environment and I thank God we are commissioning the first phase today.
Could you give an insight of the departments and sections in the hospital?
For us, this facility is to be Multi Specialist Referral Centre. The ground floor is for diagnosis. All the tests you can think of, they are going to run them there. It will also contain the Emergency Centre and other wings.The first floor is for Obstetrics and gynaecology. The next floor is department of Paediatric and Internal Medicine and the last floor is for Surgery. we have some specialty like dentistry, Dermatocology and the rest. It is going to be one stop specialist Referral Centre.
How much has been invested in the facility in terms of naira and kobo?
Originally I was taking stocks but later I lost count. As you can see, this is huge and I can’t quantify how much has been expended because we still spending.
What assurance are you giving to the patients that they are going to enjoy the best of treatment here?
We are using specialists in their various fields; different department with Specialists, that is why I said, quality care, quality environment, giving by quality personnel.
Did lower class have the chance of enjoying the facility in terms of affordability?
That is not a good impression. To start, Since 2004, we been rendering free Antenatal Services to pregnant women. From the registration to medication to delivery, it is basically free and we have not taken it from them. Triplet Pregnancy and CS is free and we pay #10,000 allowance per month for one year and we have been doing that. The essence of medical practice is not to make money but basically to render service to the society and better our immediate environment and those that are far from here.
Any future plan of partnership with the government facilities?
Again, I think is kind of becoming obsolete to go out of pocket payment in the century we are in. It is expected that everyone should have Health Insurance, you dont have to pay for the services because Insurance is making the payment. You don’t need to be afraid that, this facility will be for the rich. In term of partnership, we are looking forward to have a partnership with very reputable government institutions in the years to come.
When are you starting the second stage of the hospital?
Next year, we start the second phase of the hospital and once we start by the grace of God, it won’t take long before completion.
Do you have any demand from the govt?
I don’t think I need any demand from the government per se but we can always encourage partnership – No individual can do it alone, the government can’t do it alone and the private also, can’t do it alone, but with partnership, we serve the people better.
What is your sustainability plan for the hospital?
When you build a facility around yourself, when you are sick, the facility is sick and when you die, its’ equally dies. By the grace of God, we have moved Sckye Hospital to the level that, I don’t have to be here for it to run. In fact, I ‘m hardly here. We be able to put structure in place, that will make it outlive individual, and it is not a one man show. If am not here, the system is running because I have qualified men and system in place and it is working.
What is the media strategy being put in place for public awareness of the facility?
This interview is part of the media awareness and the general public will definitely be aware of our facility through this interview and other media platforms. Thank God, we live in the era of social media and through different social media handles, people will know more about our services. We are not starting from zero, Sckye has been in existence since 2002, we have become an household name in the state as far as medical service is concern, and it likes continue from where we have been so far.
What is your message to the staff and patients?
To the staff, we have always told them, though, each time I asked them the most important person in this organization, most of them that are just coming, they normally fail that test, saying I am the most important person, I tell them no. The number one “oga’ is the patient. I made them understand that patients are key and most important in the organization. And to the patients, I encourage them to buy Health Insurance and to those who want to do out of pocket payment, they have the money, we have to give to them the best of service.
