I am Dr. Babatunde Adeola Afolabi, and I was born in Eekosin, Odo-Otin Local Government Area of Osun State.
I started from a humble beginning, and God has used me in pdiverse ways to impact postively this generation. I firmly believe in influencing the younger generation, as I hold a strong conviction that they have a longer journey ahead.
Recently, I was deeply honoured when Medical Students from across SWestern Nigeria presented me with an award for my invaluable contributions and entrepreneurial input in Medical Practice. They expressed a desire to learn from my experiences, and I shared a great deal with them. I will be delivering a lecture for them this September, which I am very much looking forward to.
I believe that people are sent to this generation for various purposes, and in the Medical field, I view it as a calling from God. I am convinced there are still greater challenges to overcome which I get to see daily. I have had extensive exposure, travelling to different countries. For instance, I have visited India on several occasions and witnessed remarkable transformations in their Health Sector. I believe similar progress can be replicated in Nigeria.
I have seen numerous large hospitals in India, owned by individuals, as vast as the University College Hospital (UCH). At one point, I decided to establish a model multi-specialist hospital. Rather than setting it up in Lagos or Abuja, I choose to do it in my community in Osun State. That’s how I founded Favoured Emmanuel Healthcare Limited. At this facility, we perform a variety of procedures with the goal of attracting people from all over the world to benefit from our Medical Services right here in Osun State.
I have been privileged to work in government hospitals at various levels. I have served as the Head of my Department, a Head of the National Health Insurance Scheme, and a head of a Geriatrics Department. I was also the Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee on 2 consecutive terms making me the longest-serving chairman with five years of service at the University of Osun (UNIOSUN) Teaching Hospital,Osogbo. I was the first to hold that position at UTH Osogbo, and I initiated significant transformations, drawing on the managerial and administrative skills that God has bestowed upon me, particularly during transition from LAUTECH to UTH.
I also served as the last Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee for LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, for two years.
During my tenure in these roles under the able leadedhip of my CMD, Prof Peter Babatunde Olaitan, several previously unaccredited departments, including Surgery, Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, Family Medicine, and Radiology, gained accreditation. This was a major milestone, as I entered with a clear plan of action, aiming to create a robust and inclusive system where accreditations would be a priority, given the teaching hospital setting.
I also worked on improving clinical services, which we successfully achieved. New equipment were purchased, better facilities were built, and more qualified personnel were employed. For example, it was during this tenure that we began performing total hip replacements and knee replacements. These efforts significantly enhanced our value as teaching Hospital.
We also initiated collaborations with other organisations, one of which provided us with the leverage to build a modular Microbiology laboratory. You would be amazed if you visited our Microbiology laboratory sponsored in Fleming grant
Fleming 2 is currently in progress, and I believe, by the grace of God, it will soon be completed and hopefully will bring an improvement policy. People are achieving great feats in their respective fields. As the Chairman of Manpower Development, and training. We ensured that our staff received proper training that cut across all cadre of staff. As a result, we now have many Doctors, Health professionals, and PhD holders at our Facilities. Their activities have led to the broadening of knowledge, skills, expertise, and experience both individually and collectively. We now have Director’s in the Hospital with enhence influence and capacity
There are numerous other initiatives we’ve undertaken that have made a significant impact. At one point, I realised we needed to do more. Upon my arrival, I observed the vast potential of the system, so I adopted a committee system approach. This involved placing the right peg in the right hole. By doing so, we eliminated the issues of patients complaining about not being attended to before my tenure. We specifically appointed two consultants Family Physician who have been instrumental in maximising the functionality at our Accident and Emergency unit of the Hospital.
We now have a 13-beded capacity for Accident and Emergency care, equipped with monitors and AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) in a serene environment. People who visited were amazed and remarked, “So this can happen in our Teaching hospital? Personnel and machines work seamlessly and effortlessly together. The pressure on my office has also reduced because we aimed to decentralise operations in the Accident and Emergency unit.
When the building was completed, it was empty. Kudos to the Osun Health Insurance Scheme (OHIS), we wrote them a letter asking, “Can you partner with us and provide some support?They donated many items to us, and their generosity was truly surprising.
The current uniforms worn by our security staff were designed by us. When we took over, their uniforms was not good to behold, and I thought, “As lsecurity personnel; no one will take them seriously with this unholy appearance. You are addressed by the way you dress.” We set up a committee, which I chaired, to design the uniforms and organise a series of training sessions for them.
In terms of training, We initiated what we call “Ground Round” (we call it *Labẹ Ọdan*). A monthly COMMUNITY ENLIGHTENING PROGRAM where we identify problems in the Hospital, explore how to solving it, and then develop a protocol to either resolve or mitigate the issue.
For instance, when people were reluctant to undergo Post-Mortem examinations, we held numerous discussions and deliberations. We eventually developed a policy that addressed the issue effectively.
At other times, I invite professionals to speak to staff about various topics, including Equipment handling. All staff members are required to attend as a matter of duty. These sessions are held in the morning from 8:00 to 9:15 am, during which staff can ask questions and receive answers.
Another aspect we focus on is retirement planning. We ask, “What’s your plan after retirement?” We have also put measures in place to address this.
I also delivered a lecture on customer satisfaction.
Additionally, We several Workshops some of the highlights centers on Attitudial change modules tradomedical imput in 24th Centuries where I invited notable figures such asì Professor Oyelami, Dr Oluseyi Atanda among others
Overall, a lot was achieved during the tunure.
In my private life, I run an NGO, which I started in 2008. It’s my way of giving back to society. I visited a community in Ogbomosho and realised that many people there were facing challenges. They were hardworking but underprivileged. So, I took my team there, and we conducted free Medical and Surgeries. We also distributed various gifts and food items.
While I was there, I met a student whose academic performance touched me deeply. I decided to support him, and today, he is in his second year ABUTH Medical school, Zaria.
I always pay visit to motherless baby homes and correctional Centers. In fact, I took my staff on a courtesy visit to the correctional centre in Ilesa, Osun State. During our interaction, we had a fellowship after provision of food to the inmates and offered free medical services. One of the inmates, who acted as an intermediary, told me that he was once a doctor and had been in prison for years. I was moved to tears.
I have provided 3 boreholes in my community at Ekosin, with three more currently under consideration now. I also graded the roads in my community from time to time. We periodically donate palliatives to the community, and the transformer we use is facilitated with our support.
At least once a year, I organise free medical outreach to a less privileged. I could list many more initiatives, but these are just a few examples. I thank you.
