University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin

University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) is a premier and multi-specialty healthcare service provider in

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, M ...

. The hospital is located in Ugbowo, Benin City and was established on May 12, 1973 following the enactment of an edict (number 12) of the Nigeria National Health Act. As the sixth of the 1st generation Teaching Hospitals in Nigeria, its establishment was to complement her sister institution, University of Benin, and to provide secondary and

tertiary Tertiary ( ) is a widely used but obsolete term for the geologic period from 66 million to 2.6 million years ago. The period began with the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, at the start ...

care to the then Mid-western Region (now Edo and Delta State) and its environs. It provides facilities for the training of a high- and middle-level workforce for the health industry. UBTH spearheads research opportunities for lecturers in the University and others who study the burden of economic morbidity as well as other research issues. Through the Community Health Centres in Ogbona and Udo, and the General Practice Clinic that came on stream later, UBTH equally provides some avenues for primary health care to the immediate communities. University of Benin Teaching Hospital offers an internship training for medical professionals from various medical fields such as

Medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...

, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy,

Ophthalmology Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a medic ...

Medical Laboratory scientist A medical laboratory scientist (MLS) or clinical laboratory scientist (CLS) or medical technologist (MT) performs diagnostic testing of blood and body fluids in clinical laboratories. The scope of a medical laboratory scientist's work begins wit ...

Nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

Radiography Radiography is an imaging technique using X-rays, gamma rays, or similar ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation to view the internal form of an object. Applications of radiography include medical radiography ("diagnostic" and "therapeu ...

, Dentistry,

Nutrition Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures. Failure to obtain sufficient ...

and

Dietetics A dietitian, medical dietitian, or dietician is an expert in identifying and treating disease-related malnutrition and in conducting medical nutrition therapy, for example designing an enteral tube feeding regimen or mitigating the effects of ...

, amongst other professions

History

The concept of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital originated in 1969 with Colonel Samuel O. Ogbemudia, the then

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

of the Midwestern State of Nigeria, and Prof. Tiamiyu Belo-Osagie. The desire to establish a befitting medical center in the Midwestern Region of Nigeria was developed after the governor paid private visits to the Island Maternity Hospital, Lagos and the

Lagos University Teaching Hospital Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) is a tertiary hospital established in 1961 and is located in Idi-Araba, Surulere, Lagos State, the administrative division of Nigeria. The teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Lagos Coll ...

. A few months later, an Advisory Committee for the Midwestern Medical Centre was set up with Prof. H. Oritsejolomi Thomas as Chairman. Other members of the committee included Prof. Tiamiyu Belo-Osagie, Professor Alex Eyimofo Boyo, and Mr. O. I. Afe, Secretary to the Midwestern Military Government and Head of Service. Within the same year, the construction of the hospital was awarded by the committee to Costain (Nigeria) Limited and was funded collaboratively by both the Government of the Midwestern Region and the Federal Government of Nigeria. Other prominent individuals who championed the establishment of the hospital from construction to opening. were: Dr. Irene E. B. Ighodaro, Professor Glyn O. Philips, Dr. A. E. Ikomi, Dr F.O. Esiri Infirmary, and Mr. J. O. Iluebbey. The "Midwest Medical Centre" was renamed "University of Benin Teaching Hospital" in a budget speech by Colonel Samuel O. Ogbemudia in April 1972. The University of Benin Teaching Hospital is led by Professor Darlington E. Obaseki.

Notable people

* Osagie Emmanuel Ehanire * Darlington E. Obaseki Professor of Histopathology and the 6th Chief Medical Director of the Hospital.

References

{{Authority control Teaching hospitals in Nigeria 1973 establishments in Nigeria Benin City