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Tag: health centre

  • Philantropist donates health centre to community

    Philantropist donates health centre to community

    Raybam Event Centre, Oja in Agbado/Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area  was filled to the brim when the Wahab R. Ajulo Foundation donated a primary health centre  (PHC) to the Ajasa community and its environs.

    The joy expressed by Ajasa residents  at the inauguration was infectious as different tribes living in the community put aside tribalism and trooped out for the event.  Gaily dressed in different traditional costumes, they sang with gusto, accompanied with indigenous musical instruments to show that they appreciated the  health centre.

    The health centre is a storey building that has seven rooms/wards, a consulting room, an out-patient parlour, five toilets and a store as well as the doctor’s office. It  has two access culverts with drainage.

    The PHC, according to Hon. Wahab Ajulo, is a product of humanitarian service informed by his passion for the residents. He said he was moved to build the centre because there was none in community, and most of the people who came to  him for assistance had health challenges.

    The Oba of Ajasa, Oba Sule Subaru Odualabe, allocated a piece of land for the centre and encouraged him throughout the building period.

    “My poor background from a rural area devoid of this facility for a long time fired my philanthropic tendencies. It has been my innate resolve to help the less privileged with my God given opportunities and resources,” stated Ajulo.

    On why he named the centre after Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Ajulo said: “He is a symbol of philanthropy and good will. Oranmiyan symbol loves people, he is very hard working and a socialite that fears God. He is worthy to be emulated because he has people constantly on his mind. He has demonstrated that he is actually the symbol of the young, the old, the rich and the less-privileged in Alimosho. That is why I dedicated this project to him and named it after him – Rauf Aregbesola Health Centre, Ajasa.

    Ajulo appreciated a Corps member, Miss Esther Adeyanju, from Edo State, who, he said, initiated the idea, and shared it with him. Hon Ajulo said she served at the Command Secondary School as assistant librarian.

    Miss Adeyanju said: “I served in this community in 2011/12. I used to move round the community and got to know that their desire was to get a health centre because of the stress they go  through to obtain medicare  in far away places, such as the  General Hospital, Ile-Epo. I brought the idea to the Oba and Ajulo. They keyed into it. The Oba gave the land while the Honourable built the centre. The achievement of today is commendable. I give God the glory.”

    Yeye Otunba Bamidele Ologun, owner of Raybam Event Centre, expressed satisfaction with the health centre, saying mothers in the community would be relieved because they could easily access health care 24/7 for themselves, their children including family planning.

    “I and my husband are happy to identify with Ajulo because he is ever helping people in the community. He is into great development of this community. We appreciate him and wish him well in all his future aspirations,’’ she said.

    The event was graced by Yoruba and other tribes in the communities.

    Representative of Governor Aregbesola Hon. Ade Ipaye chaired the event. Lagos Commissioner for Women Affairs Uzamat Akingbile-Yusuf represented Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

    Other dignitaries included the  Olojota of Ojota, Oba Adewale Cole, the Alajasa of Ajasa, Oba Sule Odualabe, the Olu of Meiran Land, Oba Awoniyi Oroja, the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Alimoso, Solomon Ogundola,  a former member, House of Representatives, Hon. Yemi Adedeji, and  Organising Secretary, APC, Lagos, Alhaji Abdullahi Enilolobo, among others.

  • UNICAL staff, students tackle health centre

    UNICAL staff, students tackle health centre

    The University of Calabar (UNICAL) Health Centre is the first port of call for indisposed staff and students. Students especially prefer the centre to the UNICAL Teaching Hospital (UCTH), which has more facilities. Members of the university community are worried that the centre is not living up to expectations. But management has allayed their fears, saying there is no cause for alarm. STANLEY UCHEGBU (Accounting) writes.

    How dependable is the University of Calabar (UNICAL) Health Centre? At its peak, the centre can attend to  more than 70 patients weekly. But to students, the service provided is nothing to write home about. They complain about the conduct of the personnel, some of who they accuse of extorting them.

    Located on the main campus, the facility caters to the medical needs of more than 20,000 members of the university community,  including staff and students. In recent times, the centre has become a beehive, as students flock there for sundry reasons.

    The centre has several departments, including radiology, pharmaceuticals and laboratory.  When CAMPUSLIFE visited the centre, everything seemed to be working  and the facilities, including an ambulance, appeared to be in good condition. The personnel were seen moving around to attend to patients.

    Besides students, the staff are also complaining about the services at the centre. Some are saying that the facility is not living up to expectations. Students, who spoke with CAMPUSLIFE, accused the nurses of not treating them well. They claimed that they were asked to pay for drugs and other services which are supposed to be free.

    Michael Umoh, a Public Administration student, said he was only given Paracetamol and vitamin C tablets to treat malaria. “The nurse, who attended to me, only gave me Paracetamol and vitamin C. Then, she told me to buy anti-malaria pills from the pharmacy. The drugs they prescribed to me were expensive,” Michael said.

    Medical Laboratory Science student Cynthia Ekeng, said: “I was rushed to the centre last year by the former Students’ Union Vice President, Akpan Inemesit, when I had fever. But, to my surprise, the nurses there told us they did not have drugs anymore; we had to go outside to get drugs.”

    The students also accused the  centre’s management of a professional misconduct. They said the personnel usually demanded patients’ registration cards before attending to them.

    Etim Bassey, a Political Science student, condemned the personnel’s behaviour, saying the centre has not lived up to expectation. He said: “They don’t have sufficient drugs to give patients. When students are rushed to the centre, they will demand registration card. How can a doctor, who is supposed to save lives be demanding for registration card in emergency cases? This is professional misconduct.”

    The centre’s director, Dr Eno Ebong dismissed the allegations, saying students were not being “truthful”.

    She said nobody would ask for a patient’s registration card during an emergency. Dr Ebong said it is the medical personnel’s duty to save life, stating that there were instances of non-students and non-staff being treated without medical cards.

    She said: “The first thing we usually do is to save life. We give referral to patients if it is a case we cannot handle. But, people have been taking advantage of this to benefit from our service. Two weeks ago, we arrested a man, who impersonated a 300-Level student. He could not point to a male hostel. We had to call security officers to detain him. How can a 300-Level student say he didn’t know where the school hostel is located?”

    Dr Ebong said the centre renders free medical service to all bonafide students, dismissing the allegation of professional misconduct against the personnel.

    She added: “We give priority to students who are on emergency and we render free medical care for bonafide students, even for some of them who are pregnant. Before now, the health needs of staff and students were paid for by the government, but when the National Health Insurance Scheme came on board in 2008, it took over the scheme but patients still need to pay 10 per cent of the price of drugs they are given. It is not all free. But, students’ registration is free.”

    The director said there were times the centre ran out of drugs, but added that since Prof. Zana Akpagu assumed office as Vice-Chancellor, the centre has been getting sufficient drugs.

    “As I speak to you, our pharmacy is stocked with sufficient drugs that will last for a whole session. The management does not waste time in approving anything concerning the medical centre. We don’t have any obsolete equipment. If you go into our wards, you will discover that a good number of beds have been provided for patients,” she said.

    Dr. Ebong said those with wrong opinion about the centre may not have visited there. She advised them to visit the centre and see things for themselves.

  • Edo community cries out over abandoned health centre

    Edo community cries out over abandoned health centre

    There was so much joy and hope among inhabitants of Avbiama community in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State in 2013, when local authorities, with the support of an international agency, commenced the construction of a health centre in the rural community. The people saw the development as the answer to their prayer for an accessible and affordable health care.

    Two years on, the health facility has been completed, but unfortunately, it has also been abandoned. A visit by Niger Delta Report to the area and premises of the centre revealed a place overtaken by weeds and providing shelter for rodents and insects of various types.

    Instead of the reachable and inexpensive healthcare the residents of the Avbiama dreamt of when construction of the centre commenced, they still have to travel to Central Hospital in Benin City, the state capital for their health needs. Their sojourn in search of medical aid is even made more arduous my the deplorable state of the road leading to the community.

    Our reporter could not gain entrance to the now abandoned health centre because of overgrown weeds and fear of snakes and other dangerous living things that could be lurking within the bushy building.

    Chairman of Avbiama Community Development Association, Sunday Obazee, told our reporter that the hospital was well equipped after its completion, but lamented that there were no medical personnel employed by the local councils to man them.

    “There is a well-equipped primary health centre, but no staff. We go to Benin to get good health care. The place was built two years ago and it has been locked up since. We don’t know why they did not make it operational. We have been to local council and they said they don’t have fund to make it operational.

    “We clear the bush all the time hoping they would come and make it operational but nothing has been forthcoming.”

    More worrisome for Sunday and inhabitants of the community in their quests to seek health and other assistance outside their space is the deplorable state of the roads leading to the community.

    The roads, according to Sunday, were worsened following heavy duty lorries a Chinese firm are using to collect clay from burrow pits in the community.

    Ironically, the clay which the firm, Time Ceramics Company, uses for production of tiles and ceramic plates, was seen as waste products from the burrow pits.

    Sunday said they stopped the firm from collecting clay from the burrow pits because the firm refuses to contribute money towards repair of the road.

    His words, “Before now, the road was being managed until the Chinese firm came and started collecting clay as their raw material from this community. They contributed to the present bad state of the road. The company is sited at Utesi village. They only come here for their raw materials. We stopped them from coming because the man that owns the pit they were they collecting the materials from did not contribute anything to the repairs of the road. We just did not want them to worsen the road situation more than they have done, so we decided to stop them.”

    Sunday denied widespread report that N10m was paid to the community by the Chinese firm, insisting that nothing was paid to the community. He said the leaders of the Avbiama were surprised to see lorries carting away clay without informing the community leaders and the traditional of the source of their authority to do so.

    “We don’t actually see the use of clay as any raw materials. We used to see the clay as a waste product from the pit. To my understanding, they said they are using it for ceramics. We expect that the company to pay stipend for the road repairs.

    “We want government to repair this road. Two years ago, NDDC said they have awarded this road. They brought bulldozers and all of a sudden they stopped. We have been to their office and they kept telling us they would return to site. There is only one transformer providing electricity for this community and it has been overloaded.”

    It was difficult for our reporter to get the views of Time Ceramics as the spokesman of the firm was said to be sleeping when our reporter visited the company.

     

     

     

  • Council opens health centre

    Apapa-Iganmu Local Council Development Area has inaugurated a Primary Health Centre (PHC) to improve the health care of the populace.

    The opening, was done by the council’s first Executive Chairman, Dr Christopher Anago.

    Executive Secretary Mrs Oluwafunmilayo Akande-Muhammed promised to make health care accessible to the residents.

    She said:  ‘’It is a fact that the Primary Health Care campaign was by a former Minister of Health, Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti and the Lagos State Health Sector Reform Law of 2006 gave strength to it, by stressing that every citizen in the state is meant to have access to minimum health care which must be made available in every ward with a minimum of 10,000 persons and this is what we are delivering to the people now, although the populace in this ward is more than that.”

    She expressed optimism that the centre and others would run a daily 24-hour service.

    According to her, necessary materials including resource personnel have been provided in the centre to serve the community.

    ‘’Everything concerning health is here except the extreme one. The council is doing well to maintain the health of the populace and this centre is a further demonstration of our efforts to improve the health care,” she said.

    She urged the residents to see the centre as theirs and not mismanage it.

    Dr Anago hailed the council chief for upgrading the centre.

     

  • Community relishes health centre

    Community relishes health centre

    Things are looking up for residents of Item Amagu in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi. They have a brand new health centre right in their midst, and they have the Chinedu Ogah Foundation to thank for it.

    Financier of the foundation, Comrade Chinedu Ogah, also lifted the spirits of the poor and less privileged as the community savoured the new facility.

    •Ogah distributing wrappers to women
    •Ogah distributing wrappers to women

    Ogah, a philanthropist, distributed wrappers and cash to over 1000 women who graced the occasion the community’s playground.

    It ws his birthday which he chose to share with his townsfolk, especially the needy among them. The celebrant also distributed bags of fertilizers to the people to help them in this year’s farming season.

    Addressing the people, Comrade Ogah urged them to love one another and come together as one for the growth of the community.

    He said: “Everyone irrespective of party or religious affiliation should leave together in peace and harmony it the community. Support the government in power both at the state and federal level to deliver dividends to us”.

    “If there is no peace in the community, no government will come in to build schools, roads, hospitals and other amenities for you. Also if you are not united you cannot present a common front to government when agitating for these things meaning that you may not get them. So it is important you live one another.”

    He promised to continue giving scholarships and other support to the youths and widows in the community.

    Meanwhile, worried by the non-availability of a functional health centre close to the people of Item Amagu in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi , a non-governmental organisation, The Chinedu Ogah Foundation has donated a one story building worth over N30m to the Health Care Centre located in the community to help alleviate the plight of the people in accessing quality health care.

    The building was commissioned recently as part of activities to mark the birthday of Comrade Chinedu Ogah, who is an indigene of the community.

    The edifice was named after the South East Leader of All Progressive Congress (APC) and former governor of Abia State, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu.

    Speaking at the occasion, Comrade Ogah said the edifice was named after the former National Chairman of the All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP) who he noted is one of the leaders of the All Progressive Congress who are fighting for the less privileged in the society by championing the change crusade of the party”.

    “This change is all about good health to the people, it is all about uplifting the standard of leaving of the people in all its ramifications and we deem it fit to name this edifice after Dr Ogbonnaya Onu in recognition of his years of service to the people of the state and Nigeria in general.”

    He praised the government of President Muhamadu Buhari for starting on a strong footing and urged for support by Nigerians to enable the President succeed in his vision and mission to bring about positive change to the country.

    “Buhari is a man of reputable character, he is a man with vision. That is why we erected this building. Every leadership irrespective of party we pray for them.  We are very happy with what APC government is doing, we are appealling to Nigerians to be patient with Buhari. He is trying to take his time so as not to make mistakes. If you do things in a hurry you may not achieve success but if you have strategic planning, you will achieve success. And that is what I believe he is doing. In a short period of time, he will start unveiling his programmers for Nigeria”.

    He urged other well to do individuals to always help the poor and less privileged around them.

    “The best way to leave life is to help the poor. They elect leaders and pray for them. We are in positions of leadership not be use we are better than them, but because they gave us that opputprtunity, so every effort should be made by leaders to enhance their living standards”

    Comrade Ogah also urged the people in the community to protect the health facility which he said cost the foundation about N35m to build and furnish.

    Commissioning the project, the Parish Priest of Holy Cross Parish Okpoitumo Ikwo, Rev Fr John Okoro urged the people to utilize the facilities at the Hospital judiviously.

    He also commended Comrade Ogah for his magnanimity in providing succor to the poor and less privileged in the society.

    The Clergyman also enjoined privileged individuals in the society to emulate the actions of Comrade Ogah.

  • ‘We need health centre’

    ‘We need health centre’

    Residentsof Orozo-Gidan in the Federal Capital Territory seem to have little to celebrate. They have electricity,  nursery and primary schools. But that is about all. There is no health facility, which  they say they need urgently in order to remain healthy.

    A visit to the community revealed that residents of Orozo-Gidan are in dire need of primary health care centre. This is because of the distance they have to trek on daily basis to access health care services when any member of the community is sick or when a woman is about to be delivered of a baby.

    It was a pathetic experience for a young man who was rushing his wife who was in pains of labour on a motorcycle to a distant health centre at Orozo town, as both of them were struggling not to fall off from the motorcycle because of the bad nature of the road in the community.

    John Abachi, a native of the community who spoke with Abuja Review said the man and his wife had no money to board a vehicle, adding that they had to board a motorcycle to get health care attention due to lack of health care centre in the community.

    “This is what the poor in this community experience since there is no near-by health centre. If the young man has money or even if there is health centre in this community, the man would not be struggling on a motorcycle with his pregnant wife probably in labour or very sick to get to a hospital which is very far from here,” he said.

    Prince Zaphania Sule, who spoke on behalf of his father who is the Chief of the community, Chief Sule Baba, commended the leadership of AMAC for providing them with rural electrification, nursery and primary schools, but said that the issue of absence of health care centre has been worrisome because of its importance.

    His words: “We do not have health centre in this community, when anybody is sick or wants to give birth; they go to Orozo, Kurudu, Gidan-Mangoro or Karshi. The distance to these areas is very far and it is very risky most times, because when that person is very sick, instead of just walking into the health centre in the community, he would be thinking of how to get the money to pay the motorcyclist who will take him to any of these communities, before he thinks of how to get the money to pay for hospital expenses.

    “We seriously need health care centre. That is what my father usually complains about, because the issue of health centre is challenging to us. If somebody is very sick at night, we go through the pains of travelling to these areas for treatment. It is very dangerous, mostly when somebody is at the brink of death. There would not be nearby hospital to save his life. So, the chairman should help us by establishing a primary health care centre in this community.”

    Sule also said another challenge that the community is experiencing is insecurity, saying the issue of armed robbery has become disturbing to residents of the community. This, he said, is because of the absence of police post to checkmate on the activities of the youth in the community.

    “Before, the issue of armed robbery was inconceivable in this community; but now, due to development, the problem has persisted and almost every helpless residents and natives are becoming victims of armed robbery attacks.

    “Even last week, a woman was robbed in broad day light. We seriously need police post in this community to help us fight crime,” he said.

    Commenting on the customs and traditions of the people of Gidan, Prince Sule proudly said that in the past they had customs and traditions which they practised devotedly. Such practices included not pounding of pepper at night, masquerades dances and idol worshipping and believing in their guidance. But, since the community, Chief Sule Baba converted to Christianity over 12 years ago; they no longer practise those things.

    “Since our chief became a Christian in 2002, those idol worshipping has stopped; those things that we prevent the people from doing, no longer border us; such as not pounding pepper at night, believing that it disturbs the spirits and can cause sickness if any one does it. We no longer believe in it. Now anybody can pound pepper whenever they like, as far as it does not affect the next person negatively. Since we started living this way, things have been going smooth and peaceful for us all,” he stated.

     

  • Obiano’s wife equips health Centre

    The challenges, once huge, are being surmounted. At Eziowelle, in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, child-bearing was quite arduous. Some women delivered on a bench as the community health centre lacked everything it should not.

    Help has come, thanks to the wife of the state governor, Ebele Obiano who has provided facilities at the health facility.

    She promised to help last year. Now she has fulfilled her pledge, as she presented a power-driven delivery bed designed to provide support for the mother during delivery.

    The designed delivery bed  equally aids the nursing staff in the birthing process.

    The bed could be powered with electric to gain height and has back-rest adjustment which provides support for mother during labour.

    The women in the community were worried during Obiano’s wife first visit; even their visitor wept.  Five months later, the situation has changed.

    The joy of the women forced the local government chairman, Emmanuel Idemobi to declare that the council would take special care of the first child to be delivered on the new bed at the health centre.

    He thanked the governor’s wife for what he described as her latest gift of charity, adding that the support of the people for the governor, Chief Willie Obiano would never wane.

    The matron of Eziowelle health centre, Mrs. Monica Ekwealor told The Nation that the equipment donated to the centre by Obiano’s wife would be properly utilized.

    She commended her for keeping her promise of not allowing the sufferings of the less privileged women in the community to continue.

    On her part, Chief Ebelechukwu Obiano saw the donation as a natural reaction to what she saw on the ground when she visited the place last year.

    Mrs. Obiano said that she was sure that what she had done would go along way in ensuring safe delivery for women at the centre.

    She said, “I remember that when I came sometime in September 2014 one of your complaints that touched me was that your facilities have gone bad that you have to resorted to undertaking delivery of babies on a bench”.

    “It touched me because I felt that should not be happening in this century especially in our state”.

    “That is why I promised them a bed before and went ahead to procure a standard delivery bed, but didn’t find time to present it to them before now” she said.

    Furthermore, she told them that she was always touched by things concerning the welfare of children and women.

    This, she said, was made easy by her pet project, Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFE), a non-profit, non-partisan outfit which has mandate to care for the less privileged and reduce the vulnerability of women and children.

     

  • Lions clubs lift health centre

    Lions clubs lift health centre

    •Empower 40 youths

    The Lions Clubs District 404 A1, Nigeria, has donated multi-millionaire eye equipment to Iga Idunganran Heath Centre on Lagos Island, which was built by Oba of Lagos, Rilwanu Akiolu.

    Among the equipment were Slit Lamp Bio microscope, Perkins Tonometer, Visual Acuity Chart (Automated Text Chart), Professional Autolense Meter, Keeler Ophthalmoscope, Professional Keeler Retinoscope, Minor Microsurgical set, Trial Lens Box Set, Head Loupe, Near Point Charts, Automated Refractometer and Automated Vision Chart.

    Led by its District-Governor, Laitan Onolaja, an engineer, the entourage was received by Oba Akiolu who was also the special guest of honour.

    Onolaja said the gesture was part of the cardinal points of the club to assist the less-privileged.

    He thanked Oba Akiolu and Zenith Bank for providing the health centre for the people, saying: “This is a laudable achievement because it is not an everyday occurrence that an individual initiates this, and this is what prompted us to contribute our quota to complementing Lagos State government’s effort in providing first-class health for its citizenry. The equipment donated today is of high standard and nobody will need to travel abroad seeking for eye treatment.”

    He urged the state government to provide ophthalmologists that will run the clinic, while he promised his club’s readiness to render services when the need arises.

    Commending the clubs for the gesture, Oba Akiolu praised the non-governmental organisation for their care for the less-privileged in the society.

    While praising the Lions clubs for giving good medical care to the people, the paramount ruler commended the gesture of Zenith Bank under the leadership of Mr Jim Ovia on the project.

    “There is no human being that doesn’t have one form of ailment or the other. By the time I conceived of the idea of this health centre, there was no support because they wanted Motor Park. I was not deterred because I know more of this benefit will come,” the monarch said.

    Oba Akiolu, who described the equipment as high-standard, urged the ophthalmologist to take proper care of the equipment.

    In her words, representative of Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Funmi Sokunbi thanked Lions clubs for the “laudable project,” explaining that it would go a long way in fighting avoidable blindness, which she said, was on the rise in developing countries.

    The present Lagos State administration, she said, was committed to eradicating blindness in the state and partner with private organisations or individuals to make health affordable and reachable for the citizenry.

    In a related development, Lions Clubs (District 404 A1) has also sponsored 40 young people to an Aspiring Entrepreneurs Programme (AEP) at Fate Foundation, Lagos.  The participants selected from a large pool of applicants were required to present a business idea as part of the application process.

    The five-day capacity-building programme is specially designed for aspiring entrepreneurs to provide them with basic skills, tools and networks required to start and run successful businesses with best practices in entrepreneurship while sticking to business fundamentals at all times.

    The foundation, it was learnt, will conduct periodic reviews of the participants’ activities to identify how the knowledge acquired has improved their self-empowerment.

    Accommodation was provided in Lagos for the youth drawn from various parts of the country, while feeding, transportation and cost of the enterprise training was completely borne by the clubs.

  • GOVERNOR ORJI: Upgrade Afugiri Health Centre

    GOVERNOR ORJI: Upgrade Afugiri Health Centre

    Governor T. A. Orji is actually working in Abia State. He has transformed the state into a model.

    This is a source of happiness, and all the citizens of the state are proud of the governor and his government.

    As he works for the progress of Abia, he should not forget to upgrade Afugiri Health Centre in Umuakam in order to make it provide the services meant to be given by a general hospital.

    People of Ohuhu in the Umuahia North Local Government Area of the state will benefit a lot from the centre, and they will not forget the good work.

    Governor Orji has upgraded many health centres in the state. Therefore, the upgrade of the one in Umuakam will be an improvement on the health care delivery in the state.

     

    Gordon Chika Nnorom,

    Umukabia, Abia State.

  • New health centre coming

    New health centre coming

    The Management of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), will take delivery of its newly-built health centre from Kontrucja Nig., Ltd before month end.

    The AAUA Acting Director of Physical Planning and Development, Mr Emmanuel Orimoloye said the project is 96 per cent complete.

    “The health centre is almost completed; only minor finishing touches are left and are ongoing. By the end of this month, the contractor should deliver the project because the university has given him enough time,” he said.

    The old health centre is sited a few kilometres outside the campus with mini health facilities and services provided on the campus, while the new one is within the campus.

    Orimoloye also said two other projects, a 500-capacity lecture theatre and an internet resource centre, which are 70 per cent complete, would be delivered before the end of August.