When Pres. Buhari appointed Professor Abdulkareem Jika Yusuf as Medical Director of Federal Neuro Psychiatric Hospital (FNPH) Barnawa Kaduna, some doubtful persons thought it’s too big for him. But his performances in the last one year has not only proven them mistaken but patients, staff and those cares to know are full of accolades.

Upon his appointment, he rolls out a strategic action plan to improve upon what he met on the ground and even take it to the ”next level”.

He carried all and sundry along and did not alter any staff positions, especially the management cadre, he reinvigorated them to move his agenda forward in order to achieve optimum performance. In fact, as a resident doctor in the hospital who knows it in and out, his first priority is to employ high level of financial prudence and accountability.
In the infrastructure, he embarked on massive renovation of all the structures in the both Male and female patients’ wards, paintings, fixing electrical fittings, toiletries as well as converting some to office needed by the hospital. In addition, new beddings and blankets are replaced in most of the beds, including tile repairs in the restrooms. Thanks to the prompt action of his management team.

In the medical laboratory, Prof A.J Yusuf has ensured since he assumes duty that, re-agents and equipments are supplied in the Medical laboratory consistently that allows all types of tests to be carried out without recourse to outside help. In addition, his management has purchased additional machines such as —————‘

As official duty is a continuous process, Prof. Yusuf’s management has embarked on the completion of the on-going projects of building a medical laboratory/administrative block and Outpatient Department (OPD), which would serve as additional structures befitting a modern hospital. Both capital projects are now 80 percent completion with all their fittings – doors, ceilings, etc.

When he came on board, he realized that there is need for repairs in the six 6 water boreholes provided. Prof Jika repaired all of them, to the level that at least they will not give trouble in the next ten 15 to 20 years again.

From the time he assumed duty, he ensured that all issues with KAEDCO are resolved. From his assumption as MD to the time of filing in this piece, no single power cut off is recorded in the hospital, which gave the giant generating machines provided by his predecessor a respite.
Through direct labour, his management has repaired all the collapsing boreholes in the hospital for optimum performance, while nine soak-ways were evacuated and repaired across the length of the hospital.
What would interest one to know is that, in the School of Post Basic Psychiatric Nursing, the Jika’s management has made a general renovation of all structures such as overall paintings, tiling of restrooms, placement of rubber ceiling in all the structure and provision of a wardrobe cabinet in all the hostels, while in the School library, a new set of 5 sets of desktop computers were installed to ease research and studies of the both the teachers and the taught.
In the feeding of patients, Prof. AJ Yusuf accomplishments are glaring. He ensured all feeding allowances are paid as and when due to the contracts. No single monthly nonpayment is recorded to date. Similarly, in the fueling of all official vehicles, he introduced a smooth and prudent system which is cashless now – all vehicles are using cards to refuel at certain filling station without any hitch or likely hiccups usually arising as a result.
That’s not all. It is in the pharmacy department that, Prof. AJ Yusuf scored the most credit in his prudence. He continued the Drugs revolving scheme with 240,000 naira, which the hospital is now having a stock of assorted drugs of over 24 million naira in its Pharmacy in the last year. There are no drugs which patients could not get at the hospital now. In fact the pharmacy department can boost of being the most stocked and equipped with all psychiatric drugs. What a prudent management of resources.
Above all, Prof. AJ Jika’s attributes are based on honesty, prudent management of scarce resources as well transparent leadership; hence his achievements speak for themselves in the hospital.

For the record, the MD is a professor of mental health from the famous Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, who has more than two decades of experience.
Before his appointment, he was the Head of Psychiatric Department of the Ahmadu Bello Teaching Hospital ABUTH Shika.