On Friday, October 19, 2019, Nigerians gathered in Otta, Idiroko area of Ogun state to witness the birth of the first phase of the official commissioning of the 100-Bed capacity facility of Ace Medicare Clinics Limited. The visitors were awed at the sight of the hospital. It stood tall, like the statue of liberty, visible to the blind, ushering in a new era in the decadent health sector in the country. The guests, who had passed through a dilapidated and flooded government hospital, along the Idiroko road, only needed to look back a bit to appreciate what they have in front of them – a renewed hope in the health sector.
For residents of Otta, the commissioning was only the icing on the cake, a chance for others to benefit from the largess of Dr Wole Kukoyi, the founder of Ace Medicare Clinics Limited. Kukoyi has placed himself at the services of humanity, taking care of health-related issues of his people free of charge. The Diocese of Awori (Anglican Communion), The Living Faith Church Worldwide (Cannan land), private individuals, accident victims and numerous others are living testimony to the benevolence nature of Kukoyi in ensuring that his people are taking care of medically.
The tale of Ace Medicare Clinics Limited is one of persistence, grit, and vision. In addition to these factors, one can never undermine the role of the creator – the Omnipresent God in the scheme of things. The numerous contributions of his wife, Reverend Sola Kukoyi, who has been his friend, companion and prayer warrior should also, not go unnoticed.
Ace Medicare Clinics Limited is the typical success story Nigerians love to hear and identify with –what they termed ‘grass to grace’. Starting from a rented apartment at 105, Idiroko Road, where the hospital pioneered, in its early stage, provision of in-house specialist clinics and ultrasound scan services, it has risen to one of the best in the country.
In October 2009, in a bid to expand its frontiers, Ace Medical Clinics Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the reputable health institution in India, Artemis hospital. After this, there was no going back. Three months later, the hospital hosted the first International Medical Conference in collaboration with Artemis Hospital. Since then, 18 of such conferences have been executed, providing Continuing Medical Education (CME) to doctors and other health professionals.
In 2011, when the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) made CME mandatory, Ace Medical Clinics Limited was at the forefront, as it became one of the first few private institutions in the country accredited as Continuing Professional Development (CPD) providers, with a robust platform for delivering CME units free of charge to the doctors.
Since the first accreditation by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria in 2008 as a training centre for Family Medicine, the hospital has provided teaching for almost 50 Family Medicine residents from Teaching Hospitals, Federal Medical Centres and General Hospitals across South-West states in Nigeria. Also, the hospital has hosted several residents, medical students and nurses on elective postings from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Russia and Ukraine.
In 2018, Ace Medicare Clinics Limited played host to a delegation of Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA) while two young Family physicians from Turkey and France visited for observership in February this year.
The outpatient department of the hospital caters for, nephrology, neurosurgery, paediatric surgery, psychiatry, general surgery, optometry, sickle cell, urology amongst others.
According to Kukoyi, the vision behind Ace Medicare Clinics Limited is to be a medical centre of excellence and through the provision of primary, secondary and tertiary services, reduce the outflow of patients seeking medical treatment beyond the country.
This, he can’t achieve alone. It is time for all stakeholders to come on board by patronising our medical institutions. The 100-Bed capacity is a welcome development for the health sector in the country. It is an initiative the Ogun state government, in particular, should be proud of. As Kukoyi is playing his part in the delivery of quality and affordable health care, the Ogun state government can also play its role by providing easy access, through the rehabilitation of the Idiroko road to allow people experience the wonder of the Ace Medicare Clinics Limited.
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