Sonny Kuku: Professionalism and Service
Sonny Kuku, joint chief medical director, Eko Hospitals Plc, is one of the triumvirate that established the highly successful hospital. Eko Hospital is in many respects a testimony to what the human spirit can achieve with hardwork, dedication, tolerance and a sense of professionalism. The three young medical practitioners that destiny drew together in the college of medicine, University of Lagos, have stuck to one another in surmounting many odds to excel. The owners and managers of the hospital have achieved great success by their commitment to offer the best medicane service possible under the prevailing circumstances.
Kuku says that their decision to leave public service for the private sector was one of the toughest decisions they made. Another one, was the decision to go public and getting quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the only hospital to have that distinction to date in the country. Interestingly, the hospital's issue to raise funds was over-subscribed to reflect the public's confidence in that institution.
Today, Eko hospital is one of the largest, best equipped and recognised medical institutions in the country. It has good patronage to show for it. Moreover, it is one of the few private hospitals recognised by the Nigerian Medical and Dental Council to train house officers (newly qualified doctors) and the only private hospital recognised by the Nigerian Postgraduate Medical College to train general practice resident doctors for Parts I and II fellowships. The Pharmacist Board permits it to train interns and it is the only private hospital to receive full affiliation by a University, the Ogun State University.
Kuku says that the state of medicare in Nigeria is not satisfactory as a result of our haphazard development as a country. Our infrastructure is behind time, even as government is expected to play its proper role as provider of healthcare infrastructure. He sees the national health insurance scheme as the best thing to happen to the country if it is properly implemented. Healthcare is capital intensive, and as the average citizen cannot afford to pay for its services, the insurance scheme will enable the masses have access healthcare.
Kuku advises youngsters to be focused and not to be worried if life does not look rosy at the first few years of life. He admonishes them not to chase fortune and fame but to be good to their fellowmen and pursue excellence. Kuku studied in the college of medicine, University of Lagos, University Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, New York, and Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago and the Royal Postgraduate Medical School and Hammer-Smith Hospital, University of London. He has many academic awards, medical publications and fellowships to his name. He has a number of traditional titles and belongs to social clubs.
Newswatch June 29, 1998
" Newswatch 1998