Catholic Church donates waiting lounge for patients, relatives at UCH

By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko

The Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan, led by the Archbishop, His Grace, Most Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin, has donated a waiting lounge to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, for patients and relatives’ relaxation.

Speaking at the inauguration of the ‘Caritas Waiting Lounge’, on Friday at UCH In-Drive of the Emergency Department, the UCH Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, said the lounge brought a great relief to patients and their relatives.

Otegbayo said the project fitted perfectly into the catchphrase of his administration, which is “Patients’ comfort and staff welfare”.

The CMD said that the location of the facility (very close to emergency department) is  strategic to the operation of the hospital.

He added that the Emergency Department of the hospital is the first point of contact for most of the patients.

“It plays host to a large number of relations who do not have where to wait when the stainless metal chairs are occupied.

“I recall that prior to my assumption of duty as the CMD, patients’ relations were sitting on bare floor. But within a few months of being in office, we provided stainless metal chairs for their comfort, which still subsist today.

“This building will, after commissioning, be readily available for use,” he said.

Otegbayo emphasised that UCH is a collective legacy and pride, and called on all to be active to make the hospital functional and efficient.

He appealed to well-meaning Nigerians, corporate organisations and philanthropists to come to the aid of the hospital for effective healthcare service delivery.

“The management, staff, students and our teeming patients remain eternally grateful to the Catholic Diocese of Ibadan for this kind gesture of making life comfortable for our patients and their relatives.

“This will go down in history as a step toward ameliorating the hardship being faced in the course of accessing treatment.

“We thank the Caritas Foundation through the office of the Archbishop, the Most Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin, for this generous donation.

“We assure you that we shall make optimum use of this facility for the service of God and humanity.

“Our institution will be strengthened for greater efficiency if all within the different strata of the society, join efforts to make provisions that will make life more meaningful and capable of bringing sucour to people.

“Apparently, we have had a fair share of what makes life better for our teeming patients, even though our space is always available for more.

“It is of great importance for us to appreciate what we received today,” Otegbayo said.

Abegunrin remarked that the church donated the building out of its kindness to ameliorate the burden of patients and relatives at the hospital.

“Over the years, I see patients’ relatives lying on the floor at the corridors and it was pitiable, so I had the burden with the church to do something to help.

“The materials used for the edifice are expensive and they are the type that will last long, so we thank God for making today a reality,” Abegunrin said. (NAN)