History of ola olu hospital

Introduction – First 10 Years of Ola Olu Hospital (Culled from the book "The First decade" written by dr samuel oladele oloruntoba in 1979)

A decade is not a long time in the life of institutions which have existed for centuries. However, when a decade constitutes an important chapter or marks a turning point in the life of an institution that is expected to last longer than an individual, it becomes significant.

The first ten years of Ola Olu Hospital were years of activity. They represent the concerted effort of a team to nurture an embryo into adulthood. Above all, they were years when God's helping hand was evident. We have been witnesses of the eternal words "Except the Lord build a house, they labour in vain that build it". There are several reasons for committing these ten formative years into written record.

Firstly, it is a useful exercise to count ones blessing in this way. In spite of periods of great difficulties, we can still look back full of praise to our God who has been "our help in ages past and our hope for years to come".

Secondly, our experiences in our first decade of activity may be of value to others who may find themselves thrust with the type of responsibility that was on us in our first ten years.

Thirdly, as human beings our memories tend to be short. A review like this serves as a reminder for us, of things we should not forget.

The Plunge

The story of the birth of Ola Olu Hospital started as a personal story and will be told as such. My working experience as a medical practitioner started in the University College Hospital, Ibadan. Later on, I had a spell in a Missionary Hospital and then short sojourns in two government general hospitals. As a government medical officer, there were the attractions of benefits like good and almost rent free accommodation, transport allowances, vacation bonuses, pension and security of tenure. At the time Olaolu Hospital started, relatively few professionals gave much consideration to full time private employment in our country

I had the ambition to fully utilise the unique opportunity we have for service in the practice of medicine. I yearned to serve in a set up where ideals I believed in would be held dear and where conscious effort would be made to strive after them.

In March 1968, as I pondered over these yearnings, I met a reputable private medical practitioner, Dr. Eli B. Mama, based in Kaduna. My meeting and discussion with him left such a great impression on me that it began to dawn on me that perhaps the job satisfaction I was seeking for was to be found in full time private medical practice. As a medical student, this form of practice never came to my consideration since we were made to see private medical practitioners as heartless extortioners.

Dr. Eli Mama, my newly found friend and colleague proved to be a very considerate, helpful and friendly person. He at that time worked single handedly in his busy but excellent medical practice in Kaduna.

I got an invitation to the home of the Mamas in Kaduna for a weekend. Before I left Kano where I worked in the then Kano City Hospital, I prayed that God would show me what exactly I was to do when I met the Mamas. I was shown round Lafjya Clinic where Dr. Mama practised and I had a warm welcome to the home of the Mamas. By the end of my stay, it was clear to me that private practice could be very decent. It could be done honestly and could offer a most satisfying experience. On my return to Kano, fear of the unknown gripped me. A dark cloud of uncertainty about the future descended on me. After weeks of thoughtful consideration and prayer, I finally arrived at the decision to go into full time private medical practice: The plunge was taken. It was a plunge into the dark unknown. I resigned my appointment with the government in June 1968.

On July 1,1968, I joined the practice of Dr. Eli Mama in Kaduna. It was a most rewarding experience. Indeed it was in Lafiya Clinic that the foundation of the philosophy of Ola-Olu Hospital was initially nurtured. After one year of initiation in Lafiya Clinic, I felt I was sufficiently equipped psychologically to launch on a mission; the establishment of Ola-Olu Hospital in llorin.

When the decision was taken to establish a private medical practice in llorin, there were mixed reactions from members of my family, friends and colleagues. Some thought it was unwise. Others thought it was a clear case of leaving certainty for uncertainty. There was however a strong core of well wishers that gave prayerful support even though they too were equally uncertain about the future.