Medical Services At State House Medical Centre Impacted By Staff Shortage

Medical Services At State House Medical Centre Impacted By Staff ShortageThe State House Medical Centre has reported that its medical records department is struggling to operate at full capacity due to a shortage of trained health information officers. According to the center, the limited personnel are stretched thin across various wards and clinics, resulting in longer patient waiting times and an increase in misfiled records.

These challenges were highlighted in the State House’s latest annual report, which noted, “The department is unable to function optimally due to the lack of trained personnel. One health information officer is assigned to cover three clinics and has multiple job responsibilities.”

As a consequence, patient waiting times have risen, and other essential tasks, such as data reporting, have been left undone. The report further indicated that the misfiling of patient records has worsened because staff from the administrative department, lacking formal training in records management, have been tasked with filing and retrieval duties.

“Since they were brought in to support the department, they can only be assigned to basic filing tasks, leaving professional responsibilities to trained staff. This has resulted in an uptick in the misfiling of patient records,” the report added.

Established in 1976, the State House Medical Centre provides healthcare services to the President, Vice President, their families, and State House staff. Originally located at Dodan Barracks in Lagos, the center was relocated to Abuja in 1992 following the establishment of the city as the seat of government under General Ibrahim Babangida.

The Health Records Department is responsible for maintaining and safeguarding patient records, which are crucial for effective clinical care and statistical reporting. The department aims to be a leader in digitalized and standardized health records management, with goals that include ensuring patient confidentiality and digitizing health information.

However, the department currently employs only 16 staff members, consisting of eight trained health records professionals, five non-professionals, and three National Youth Service Corps members.

In 2023, only four employees received one week of training on the International Classification of Diseases and Electronic Health Records Management System. Between 2016 and 2022, the Buhari administration allocated approximately N33.3 billion for the State House’s medical infrastructure, with N455.2 million earmarked for 2023.

These funds covered operational costs such as purchasing medical equipment and medications, as well as capital projects, including the recently completed presidential wing of the medical centre. The budget breakdown indicated that N308.26 million was allocated for general medical expenses, N8.35 billion for the State House Medical Centre, and N24.24 billion for the presidential wing.

In the 2024 budget signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, N1.33 billion was allocated to the medical facility, with N441.68 million designated for operational costs and N749.69 million for capital projects. The SHMC budget stood at N4.84 billion in 2016, with allocations fluctuating in subsequent years, including N634.14 million in 2020 and N455.2 million in 2023.

A senior official familiar with the operations of SHMC disclosed that the State House is in the process of hiring doctors and trained personnel to address the staffing deficit. The official, who wished to remain anonymous due to restrictions on commenting, stated, “The State House is currently recruiting additional doctors for the VIP wing and other clinics, as well as more professionals for various departments.”

Meanwhile, Olufunso Adebiyi, the Permanent Secretary of the State House, announced plans to fully digitalize operations by November 2024. The 2024 budget allocated N10 billion for the complete digitalization of the State House and its Lagos offices and quarters.

During a recent oversight visit by the House of Representatives’ Committee on Special Duties to Aso Rock Villa on October 8, Adebiyi highlighted that completing the computerization and digitalization process would enhance efficiency, security, and the seamless operation of critical administrative functions across its seven cost centres: State House Headquarters, State House Operations for the President, State House Operations for the Vice President, Office of the Chief of Staff, Office of the Chief Security Officer to the President, State House Medical Centre, and Lagos Liaison Office.

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