Sources in the hospital said Prof. Oladiran Adegbehingbe was made the new acting CMD of the hospital in a letter dated June 22, 2023, signed by Hassan Sallahu, Director of Human Resources, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health.
Adegbehingbe was said to have assumed duty immediately after he got the letter and was even at the Ministry in Abuja on Monday, where he was introduced to the officials.
The letter appointing Adegbehingbe as acting CMD further read, “I am directed to convey the approval of the Permanent Secretary for your appointment as Acting Chief Medical Director, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, with effect from Tuesday, June 20, 2023.
“The appointment is for a period of six (6) months, within which all processes for the appointment of a substantive Chief Medical Director would be initiated and concluded by the Ministry.
“Similarly, and in the spirit of the agreement reached between you and the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria and other Unions of the Hospital, you are exempted from participating in the race for the appointment of a substantive Chief Medical Director.”
But on Friday, Prof. Afolabi Owojuyigbe, who succeeded the last substantive CMD of the hospital, Prof Victor Adetiloye, returned to the hospital, with another letter dated June 27, 2023, which addressed him as the Acting CMD, written by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health, Adebiyi Olufunso.
The letter told Owojuyigbe to stabilise the hospital and hand over its management to Dr Adekunle Adeyemo, who was directed to take over in an acting capacity on or before Friday, July 7, 2023.
It further read, “I have approved the appointment of Dr. Adeyemo Adekunle, the Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee of the Hospital as Acting Chief Medical Director who will be in this capacity for a maximum period of six months, in line with Public Service Rules.
“You are therefore directed to hand over the affairs of the hospital on or before Friday, July 7, 2023 to the DCMAC OAUTHC, Ile-Ife.”
A consultant in the hospital, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, on Saturday, said the tension generated by the presence of three personnel having appointment letters as CMD was already taking a negative toll on the services in the hospital.
“OAUTH is already in a chaotic situation presently. We have three CMDs presently, and curiously, two of them were appointed in the last seven days by the PS Ministry of Health. Something urgent must be done because tension is on the rise presently,” the Consultant said.
Efforts to get a reaction from the management of the hospital failed, as calls to its Public Relations Officer, Kemi Fasooto, rang out and she has not replied to text messages sent to her on the matter as of the time of filing this report on Saturday.
