Family Medicine

The Federal Medical Center, Birnin Kudu (FMC BKD) similar to most tertiary institutions in Nigeria has an established Family Medicine department serving as the entry point for most patient seeking care. Thus, the department of Family Medicine is the gateway of the Federal Medical Centre Birnin Kudu (FMC BKD) that provides both out-patients and in-patients services within Jigawa State and neighboring states like Bauchi and Kano.
Whilst FMC BKD was established as a tertiary institution in 2000, the Family Medicine department started in 2011. The department got partial accreditation of National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria in 2012 when there was a resident consultant Family Physician. Unfortunately, the accreditation was suspended temporarily due to lack of resident consultant Family Physician in the department.
The picture of Family Medicine trajectory from 2017 to date (2021) is punctuated with several successes. It must be mentioned that the turning point of the successes gained is a resultant effect of the vision, mission, and foresight of the present Medical Director Dr Professor Idris Suleiman.
In appraising the journey so far, we shall critically review some the essential pillars of health care delivery system around human resource, service delivery, governance, infrastructure, and education/research.
• In 2017 – the department has a total of twelve (12) doctors – one resident consultant (on leave), one visiting consultant, three resident doctors (doing residency training in AKTH and Jos University teaching hospital), one principal medical officer, four senior medical officers, and two medical officers.
• 2021 –Currently, the department has a total of seventeen (17) doctors – the department has two consultant, three resident doctors (on residency training in AKTH and Jos University teaching hospital), one principal medical officer, four senior medical officers, and seven medical officers. One of the senior medical officer covers Federal Government Secretariat Clinic Dutse.
• Quality of care – the presence of resident consultant provide enabling environment for proper review of patients leading to improved quality of care rendered
• Increase in staff – from 12 to 17 doctors in the department invariably increase the number of patient seen daily
• At the departmental level, the presence now of a resident consultant in the Family Medicine department in FMC BKD has improved coordination of hospital/departmental activities and health care service delivery.
• At the hospital level of governance, the able leadership of the Medical Director Dr Professor Idris Suleiman provided listening ear, conducive working environment and rendered necessary support.
Education/research activities; the various educational activities ongoing in the department and hospital include:
1. Department presentations
2. Clinical and bedside teachings
3. Departmental meetings
4. Hospital presentations
5. Radio/TV presentations