Barely four years after its establishment, the National Orthopedic Hospital in Jos, Plateau State, has commenced operations, offering specialised orthopaedic care to the people.
The hospital’s Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof. Icha Onche, disclosed this on Monday during a press conference in Jos as part of activities to formally commence its operations stating that the hospital is now open for outpatient services.
‘The essence of this briefing is basically to tell the whole world that we have started our operation’, the CMD said.
Onche added that clinics for outpatients would formally commence on Tuesday.
‘The National Orthopaedic Hospital, Jos, is one of three hospitals signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in the final days of his administration.
‘We have similar hospitals in Benin and Jalingo, these were established to ensure equitable geographical spread, especially in regions that didn’t have such specialised health institutions.
‘This journey has not been easy it’s been very difficult. And as you know, the country is going through tough financial times.
‘This institution is purely orthopaedic. Orthopaedics deals with the bones, muscles, tendons, and related structures, the mechanics of movement. That’s our job.
So, for example, we are not equipped to treat conditions like pregnancy we don’t handle that.
‘We’re not trained or set up to treat malaria, typhoid, diarrhoea, hypertension, diabetes, or cough. These are outside our mandate.
Such cases should go to primary healthcare centres, general hospitals, or tertiary institutions like JUTH.
‘Our core focus is clear: treating fractures, trauma from accidents, hip and joint problems—anything related to movement. Our aim is to restore mobility. That’s our function: to help you move again. We want to make our people functional. We are seeing a trend where our population is ageing, and our life expectancy is declining. So, in the days to come, we hope to perform all the sophisticated procedures known in the field.
‘I want to assure you that with the team we have built, a lot of the money people spend travelling abroad for treatment will stay here. We have the capacity to perform hip replacements, shoulder and knee replacements, and fix any fracture. That is our core mandate. And by the grace of God, when we are fully operational, nobody should need to travel abroad and fund treatment themselves—we can do it all here. We’ve also been fortunate to have a very cooperative host community’.
Speaking further, the CMD said ‘Let me clarify this is a regional hospital, It is meant to serve Plateau State, Benue State Nasarawa, Kogi, Kwara, and Niger States, we are lucky to have the hospital located here in Plateau State’.
‘I want to thank our President, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for appointing me as the Executive Medical Director of this institution as well as the Governor of Plateau State, His Excellency, Barrister Caleb Mutfwang, who has been a tremendous pillar of support’.
Onche also added ‘I also want to acknowledge the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, whose initiative this was. He began the process and got the bill passed and signed by President Buhari on 21 July 2021. He has remained a steadfast supporter of this project and of me personally, on the journey to this day, he added.
‘Funds are limited. But we’ve tried to use the resources available to us as efficiently as possible, to get this place functional. This facility was the old JUTH satellite site. It was abandoned for 14 years. By 2023, it had been deserted for 13 years.
‘The structures were dilapidated, roofs gone, ceilings collapsed. We had to renovate everything from scratch. We re-roofed buildings, fixed ceilings, and carried out full-scale renovations. There’s still so much to do, and a lot is ongoing. And if you ask me what the greatest challenge is, I’ll tell you plainly funding. It’s been tough. We received an intervention fund from the former Deputy Speaker to begin renovations, but we’re still owing money from the commissioning.
‘Thankfully, we’ve made provisions for this in our budget proposal for this year. We pray that the hospital will be fully funded so we can start delivering on the core mandate we are meant to render here’.
It was reported that the hospital, which was established by law in 2021 and situated at the old site of Jos University Teaching Hospital, had undergone significant renovations to become a world-class facility.
The hospital will provide a range of orthopaedic services, including treatment for fractures, trauma, hip and joint problems, and spinal cord injuries. Prof. Onche assured that the hospital has the capacity to perform sophisticated procedures, including hip and knee replacements, and will strive to reduce the need for Nigerians to seek medical attention abroad.
The hospital faces significant challenges, including funding and staffing. Prof. Onche revealed that the hospital’s budget for 2025 is 600m, which is insufficient to meet its needs. He appealed for increased funding and support to enable the hospital to deliver on its mandate.
Despite the challenges, Prof. Onche assured that the hospital’s services will be competitive and affordable. He emphasized the importance of the National Health Insurance Scheme in making healthcare more accessible to Nigerians.
The National Orthopedic Hospital’s commencement of operations marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s healthcare sector. With its state-of-the-art facilities and commitment to delivering quality care, the hospital is poised to become a major hub for orthopaedic services in the region.
