By John Odunjo
“We came here because of the alarming statistics of the World Health Organization that 1047 out of a 100,000 births in Nigeria lead to deaths and this is because healthcare is not available especially at the primary level, which is the basic place where healthcare should be. Many of the people resort to different means to give birth”
The joy of the people of Ago Aduloju, a farmstead in Ado Ekiti, knew no bounds on Friday when Access Bank officially handed over a renovated and equipped Basic Health Centre in the community to the state government for the residents’ use.
The people, led by the traditional head, the Baale of Ago Aduloju, Tope Akinbaye, thronged the Health Centre in their numbers as they sang, dance and praised the bank for the transformation that the financial institution had brought about in the health facility in terms of the physical structure and equipment.
In attendance at the event was the Chairman, Ado Local Government, Bosun Osaloni; Ekiti State Commissioner for Health, Dr Oyebanji Filani; Dr Seluwa Ayodele of the state Primary HealthCare; and the Medical Officer of Health for Ado Local Government, Dr Adepoju Abe among others.
The Head, South West II Zonal Operations (Ondo and Ekiti States) of Access Bank, Dare Adetosoye, also led bank officials including the Akungba Akoko Branch Manager, Mr James Olaofe; Branch Manager, Ajilosun Branch, Ado-Ekiti, Dr Godswill Unekwu Ogwu; and Head of Operations, Ajilosun Branch Ado-Ekiti, Dr Innocent Mordi.
The Baale hailed Access Bank for taking the responsibility of renovating, providing equipment and making water supply in the health centre a reality.
The traditional head said that the gesture would ensure better healthcare delivery and as well prevent high maternal mortality.
In his speech, the Access Bank Operations Zonal Head, Adetosoye, while explaining the reason for the bank’s intervention, said that the bank was bothered by the World Health Organisation’s statistics that 1047 out of 100,000 births in Nigeria leads to deaths.
The bank chief, who said the worrisome figure called for concerted efforts to redress the trend, added that investigation showed that “a larger percentage of the deaths comes from areas where basic health is not available or is lacking, thus making survival to depend on where you are given birth to”.
He said that the bank’s intervention was an attempt to fill the gap and “to ensure availability of the things that make life easier and enjoyable for citizens.
The banker, who called on other corporate bodies to take a cue, said, “We came here because of the alarming statistics of the WHO that 1047 out of a 100,000 births in Nigeria lead to deaths and this is because healthcare is not available especially at the primary level, which is the basic place where healthcare should be. Many of the people resort to different means to give birth.
“This is what led to the theme of Access Bank retail operations’ Corporate Social Responsibility this year, ‘Nurturing Love for Babies and Mothers’. We chose six locations across the country, Ago Aduloju, Ado Ekiti is the one chosen for this geo-political area. The remaining five are in Rivers, Kaduna, Lagos, Nasarawa and Bauchi states.
Adetosoye said that based on the poor state of the Basic Health Centre, Ago Aduloju, the bank when beyond its initial plan of donation of medical equipment by also renovating the facility and providing potable water supply to make it conducive for healthcare delivery.
He said, “We have provided an ambulance stretcher in case of an emergency, we provided a ramp for those who are being wheeled, two new delivery beds for the delivery room, a double suction machine which is used for taking care of children and mothers at birth.
“We also provided a wheel chair in the event that there is a need for moving somebody that cannot walk and needs attention and we provided a streriliser so that anything they want to do. We did all the furnishing, we changed the ceiling, changed the windows and we repaired and painted everywhere. We wanted to do more, but the funds were limited,” he said.
Ekiti State Commissioner for Health, Dr Oyebanji Filani, who appreciated the bank for the gesture, said, “With this, you have taken a burden off the state government”.
Filani, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Olusola Gbenga-Igotun, who said the state government was paying a lot of attention to healthcare delivery in the people’s interest, urged the people of the area to patrnice the facility and make good use of the facility.
Gbenga-Igotun, who said the state government was offering free medical services to pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under five years, advised the people to enroll into the state Health Insurance Scheme.
The Chairman, Ado Local Government, Bosun Osaloni, who said that the bank’s gesture was to ensure better lives for the people, urged the staff and users to ensure the facility and equipment were put to good use.
The Medical Officer of Health for the local government, Dr Adepoju Abe, said, “I am elated. This Access Bank’s CSR project is novel, we appreciate the gesture, it is a challenge to other corporate bodies”.
He said, “Government cannot do everything. We now have a partner in Access Bank. Communities too can do a lot in assisting government”.
