BACKGROUND TO DATE:

ORIGIN

The then East Central State government of Nigeria led by Mr. Ukpabi Asika, as Administrator (Chief Executive), at the end of Nigerian Civil war (1967 – 70), established a hospital for maimed war victims. This hospital was to offer services in Orthopaedic, Plastic and Ophthalmic Surgery.

THE FOUNDATION PLAQUE of the hospital was unveiled on 21st January 1972, by Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia after whom it was named, for his mediating role in the Nigerian Civil War. The then Nigerian Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon accompanied him to Enugu for the ceremony. The Eastern Nigeria Governors’ lodge was converted to The Haile Selassie I Institute for Orthopaedic, Plastic and Ophthalmic Surgery which is today referred to as National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu.

OPENING
The hospital was opened to the public with the first intake of patients on 17th January 1975. The formal opening by Mrs. Victoria Gowon took place on 4th April 1975.
The Haile Selassie I Institute was re-named State Orthopaedic Hospital in July 1975, by Col. Anthony Ochefu, the then Military Governor of East Central State. The Ophthalmic surgery part of the hospital was shelved then.
There was a Federal take-over of the hospital in 1976, retrospective from 1st October 1975, during which the two sister hospitals in Dalla-Kano and Igbobi – Lagos were also included. The three hospitals acquired the uniformity of name – National Orthopaedic Hospital about 1977 and subsequently came under the control of the Orthopaedic Hospitals Management Board.

EARLY MANAGEMENT
Mr. Ukpabi Asika (the then Administrator of Eastern Central State) set up an implementation Committee, within the Cabinet Office, to establish the hospital under the chairmanship of Mr. John Ibeziako. The first management board was inaugurated under the chairmanship of Mr. Anthony Mogboh on 11th February 1975. The Federal Government continued the tradition of the State Government by appointing an Interim Orthopaedic Hospitals Management Board (OHMB) with Prof. A. Adesola as chairman. Decree 91 of 1979, formally established the OHMB. Justice C. D. Onyeama was made the Chairman. Mr. Kudaisi became the first Secretary to the board. The Orthopaedic Hospitals have on occasion been administered directly from the Federal Ministry of Health. The last OHMB chairman Dr. C. A. Orimalade took office in 1986 until 1994 when the Board was dissolved for six years during which the parent Ministry supervised the hospitals directly. The Federal Government in 2000 decided to decentralise the Board for National Orthopaedic Hospitals.  Dr. Alex Obi was appointed as the first chairman of the National Orthopaedic Hospital. Enugu Management Board, from 2000 to 2004. The current Management Board was inaugurated in July 2005, under the chairmanship of Dr. Omotayo Dairo.

The Medical Director under whom the hospital was opened was late Dr. J. E. Igwe who remained in office until October 1987. Dr. J. C. Nwozo succeeded him in an acting capacity until Dr. B. O. Onabowale took office in March 1989. Dr. J. U. Achebe a Chief Consultant Plastic Surgeon took over the leadership of the hospital as its Medical Director in 1997 till 2005. The current Medical Director and Chief Executive is Dr. C. B. Eze. His tenure commenced in October 2005.