NON ACADEMIC RESOURCE CENTRE

PROFILE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT HEALTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT AKA O.B LULU BRIGGS HEALTH CENTRE

AN UPDATE OF THE PROFILE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT

HEALTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT AKA O.B LULU BRIGGS HEALTH CENTRE

1. INTRODUCTION

The Health Services Department is one of several non-teaching Departments in the University. The Department operates from the O.B. Lulu Briggs Health Centre, which is situated at the Abuja campus of the university. The building was donated by the late High Chief O.B. Lulu-Briggs. The Health Centre is a Primary health facility that is NHIS accredited to provide healthcare services to its enrollees. The centre caters for the university community which is made up of students, staff, and staff dependents. Other clients from the neighbouring communities may also benefit from the services of the health centre.

The facility is visibly located by the Delta gate into the University Park, opposite the Exchange and Linkage Office. All students and staff are eligible to receive primary care at this facility so long as they are duly registered with the Centre. The health insurance premium for the students is often included in the payment of their tuition and this entitles the students to a full package of comprehensive primary medical care and referral for specialist care at accredited facilities under the National Health Insurance Scheme.

UNITS OF THE HEALTH CENTRE:

The Health Services Department is made up of various units

1. General Administrative Unit:

This Unit is responsible for the general day-to-day running of the Department.

Applications and requests on administrative and financial matters are submitted in this Unit.

2. Medical Laboratory Unit:

This Unit carries out Clinical Laboratory Investigations.

All specimens for laboratory tests are submitted in the laboratory during office hours from Mondays to Fridays.

3. The Nursing Unit:

This Unit undertakes nursing procedures such as suturing and/or dressing wounds, incision of abscesses, administration of intra-muscular injections, etc. Patients who need such attention report to the nursing unit every day. The laundry, cleaning services, and ambulance drivers are also under this unit

4. Pharmacy Unit:

Drugs are dispensed to the patients from this unit on presentation of prescription forms from the Health Centre’s Doctors.

5. The Public and Environmental Health Unit:

Environmental Sanitation Services are handled by this Unit. They also control stray animals, especially dogs within the university.

6. Medical Records:

The Records Unit of the Health Services Department is responsible for the registration of patients and the collection of information on a range of health-related issues. Medical data and other medical and other relevant particulars of every patient who has been duly registered are stored in this Unit. All patient records are strictly confidential and remain the property of the Health Centre.

2. MANDATE

The mandates of the health centre involve the provision of accessible, high-quality, and holistic healthcare services to members of the university community. This is achieved with a focus on prevention, early intervention, and the promotion of the overall well-being of staff and students.

The mandates have been categorized into the following:

• Primary healthcare delivery
• Preventive health care
• Wellness promotion
• Management and treatment of common ailments
• Antenatal care
• Attending to basic emergency cases
• Health Education and Promotion
• Environmental Health Services
• Health records management
• Referrals and care coordination
• Collaborations and Partnerships with other relevant stakeholders

3. ACTIVITIES

Based on the mandates, the activities of the health centre include:

1. REGISTRATION PROCESS AT THE HEALTH CENTRE

All new students and members of staff of the University are required to register with the medical records as soon as they are admitted or employed respectively.

A good reason for registration is to obtain baseline medical data on all the individuals, e.g. drug allergies and idiosyncrasies, existing conditions like diabetes, etc. which should be indicated in the medical examination forms. These would serve as guides in the management of the individual, especially in cases of sudden illness.

Another reason to identify those entitled to the University’s free medical care.

Members of staff have family folders which contain treatment sheets for every member of the families. Each family folder has the corresponding index and registration cards. The registration card must be kept by the head of the family or the employee of the University and must be presented at every visit to the clinic by any member of that family. The Index cards and the family folders are kept in the Medical Records.

2.  VISIT TO THE HEALTH CENTRE FOR TREATMENT

Patients are always required to present their health centre registration cards at the Records unit before they are attended to in the clinic.

3. SERVICES AT THE HEALTH CENTRE

The services rendered by the health Centre are multi-faceted. They are bordered around the 3 Ps of health care delivery: Prevention of diseases, Promotion of wellness, and the Protection of health. In other to achieve these, various services have been listed below:

1. Health Education and Counselling

The health centre has dedicated staff who take turns to give health educational tips and basic life skills during the year one registration process. Such health talks include tips on how to avoid contracting sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS, and tips to ensure healthy feeding habits. Other such topics of interest given to the students include drug & alcohol use, academic expectations, alertness & security tips, and dating. The students are offered more extensive free counselling services where needed by qualified counsellors.

ii. Laboratory Services

The lab in the health clinic can run various tests which include: PCV, FBS, PT, urinalysis, MP, Widal test, Blood group, MCS, Microscopy, Microfilaria, FBC, RVS, HBsAg, VDRL, Semen Analysis, Detection of H. pylori, FOB, ESR, E/U/C, LFT, L.P, H.P, and PSA

ii. Special Tests

The health centre has an electrocardiogram machine used for running ECGs

iii. Ante-Natal Care 

 Ante-natal services are run at the health centre for female students, staff, and staff’s wives. At term, however, they are referred to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital for further management and delivery.

iv. In-Patient Services

The health centre can provide in-patient services for patients who need to be placed under observation within 48 hours. There are comfortable wards with beds and other necessary equipment for such patients. However, those patients who may require longer or more detailed management are referred to the University of Port Harcourt Hospital.

v. Fumigation Services

Fumigation services are specifically handled by the Public and environmental unit of the health services department. Such services include spraying of premises for pest control, food inspection, and a house-to-house inspection of premises both residential and non-residential. These services are made available on demand at a subsidized rate.

vi. Training Programme

The health services department has introduced CPR training for interested clients which would include medical and non-medical personnel. This training is accredited by the American Heart Association (AHA) and is done for a fee.

4. CONTACT INFORMATION OF REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HEALTH CENTRE

The Acting Director is Dr. Olayinka Olusanya.

Email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Phone number: +2348030831758

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