Health
Frontier Club touches lives as 49 students get scholarship, furnishes gov’t hospital
A philanthropic organisation under the aegis of Frontier Club has renovated and supplied bedding materials to a government owned General hospital, Abejukolo, the headquarters of Omala Local Government Area of kogi State.
The Club has also awarded scholarship to 49 indigent students in the community.
The club dropped the hints in Abejukolo at the weekend during the presentation ceremony of the materials to the management of the hospital by the club members headed by Abubakar Sani.
The Club chairman stated that in line with the objective of the Club which is ‘service to humanity’, the bedding materials are to enhance the function of the hospital in its service delivery in the community.
He added that the scholarship scheme was embarked upon in order to assist the indigent students to further their education and make them better persons in the society .
Dr Olukoya Kehinde, the head of the government owned General Hospital , Abejukolo who received the materials on behalf of the hospital management described the frontier group as a credible organisation that is out to assist individuals and communities in solving their challenges, and praised them for extending the gestures even to government institutions to ease service delivery.
He said members of the Frontier Club appeared to be in the know of challenges staring the hospital, stressing that some beddings in the hospital were terribly bad to the extent that even a mad man would reject using it on admission.
He added that at a point, because of its obvious bad state, the management became apprehensive of the possibility of patients getting infected with other diseases after receiving treatment for the original health conditions that brought them to the hospital.
Dr Kehinde who pleaded for more assistance in view of the deplorable condition of the hospital commended the Club for the gesture, adding that the hospital lacks sensitive and important equipment like oxygen kits and an electricity generating set to handle emergency cases.
While handing the materials to the hospital, the Chairman of the club, Sani Abubakar noted that as part of their service to humanity, the Club decided to provide, “30 mattresses, 30 bed sheets and 30 pillow cases to the hospital to improve their operation for more lives to be saved in the community”.
In an exclusive interview with journalists at Abejukolo , Sani disclosed further that the club’s development activities are centred around touching the lives of the indigent people through their community projects that run across the 9 local government areas that constitute Kogi East Senatorial District.
He hinted that the club, had been supporting communities in the East of Kogi with provisions of basic primary health care infrastructure and medical equipment, science laboratory equipment and donating other educational facilities to schools in the rural rural areas.
He added that since its inception in 1988, the Club had launched a scholarship scheme under the leadership of Alhaji Sani Lulu, the former chairman of NFA(NFF) which had assisted many indigent bright students across communities in Kogi East.
It was gathered that the scholarship scheme which was designed to assist indigent pupils and students to study in secondary and higher institutions kicked off in 1997 with only 9 beneficiaries, but services about 234 students currently.
It was also gathered that the sum of over N20 million has so far been spent on the scholarship scheme by the Frontier Club.
“The key objective of the scheme was to identify and assist brilliant indigent students of poor family backgrounds ,mainly from Kogi East to pursue academic programmes in any secondary school of their choice”, he said.
A beneficiary, An 18- year-old Idris Ibrahim, HND II student of Federal Polytechnic, Idah, Department of Architecture, who spoke with journalists at Abejukolo hinted that without the club’s scholarship , it wouldn’t have been possible for him to further his education; a situation that could probably have pushed him to embrace an end in life not originally thought of.
An orphan, Amina Abubakar age 15 currently in SS3, who is also one of the beneficiaries of the scholarship scheme, lauded the Frontier Club saying, “It remains the reason that I have a voice in my family and peer group today.”
It was gathered that the scholarship scheme has been a rewarding exercise for the Club in the last 24 years as a generation of indigent youths have been empowered to receive a lifetime education for their self development.
Meanwhile, the Frontier Club has constituted a new executive committee that will run its affairs for the next two years.
The new members includes,Chairman, Abubakar Sani; 1st Vic chairman, Yahaya Husssaini; 2nd Vice chairman, Okai Aku; Secretary General, Ahmed Shaibu; Assistant Secretary, Sunday Okayi as well as Treasurer, Samson Makoji; Assistant Treasurer, David Ihiabe; Legal Adviser- Aminu Ogaji; PRO, Joban Ogwu; Project Secretary, Ishaq Musa; Sergeant at Arms, Sule E. Ocheja; including, Financial Secretary, Edime Yakubu; Assistant Financial Secretary, Saeed Yusuf; Auditor, Ayatu Oyibo and Research Secretary, Danladi Musa.
The Federal Government has facilitated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Hospital and four private institutions to enhance the capacity of the healthcare workforce.
The participating institutions include Nile University, Cosmopolitan University, Yangongwo College of Nursing Sciences, and Concerned Medix Foundation.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Ministry’s Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations, Mr. Alaba Balogun on Friday.
Alaba revealed that during the signing ceremony, the Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, emphasized that the MoU aligns with the administration’s policy to expand training capacities.
Prof. Pate further highlighted that this initiative reflects President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to increasing the training of health workers, addressing workforce gaps, and maintaining professional standards through the Regulatory and Professional Schools Division of the Hospital Services Department of the Ministry.
He stressed the government’s responsibility to tackle multiple challenges, including infrastructure, equipment, and human capital development, noting that Nigerian health workers are highly sought after due to their excellent training.
“Thankfully, because they are well-trained, we are very proud of them. If we weren’t training them, they wouldn’t have been attractive to other countries.
“Unfortunately, that has implications on the service delivery at home. So as a government, we took a progressive stance to say, look, let’s train more.
“So that even if those who are trained leave, some will stay. And even those who have gone away might come back to serve. And, that is the driving force behind this policy approval by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the Coordinating Minister pointed out.
Prof. Pate also underscored the crucial role of the private sector in achieving the government’s objectives, noting that Nigeria’s healthcare system operates as a mix of public and private institutions.
“So, the private sector has a space, and I am very pleased that you have joined hands with the National Hospital to be able to really see how the capabilities of the hospital can help you train more clinicians”, he said.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital, Prof. Raji Mahmud, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for prioritizing improvements in the healthcare system.
He affirmed that the collaboration and signing of the MoU between the National Hospital and private institutions would significantly expand healthcare workforce training.
Prof. Mahmud further noted that three out of the four institutions are primarily training centers focused on medical and nursing education in partnership with the National Hospital, Abuja.
In a bid to enhance medical care for Nigerians, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed six new Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) for Federal Hospitals across the country.
Among those appointed is Dr. Ikrama Hassan, who will now serve as the Chief Medical Director of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lafia, Nasarawa State. Dr. Hassan, a seasoned consultant physician, previously served as the Medical Director of Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital before its elevation to a teaching hospital.
The full list of newly appointed CMDs includes:
Prof. Olusegun Sylvester Ojo – Federal Teaching Hospital, Akure, Ondo State.
Prof. Yusuf Mohammed Abdullahi (Reappointed) – Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe.
Dr. Dauda Abubakar Katagum – Federal Teaching Hospital, Azare, Bauchi State.
Dr. Ikrama Hassan – Federal Teaching Hospital, Lafia, Nasarawa State.
Dr. Ali Mohammed Ramat – National Orthopedic Hospital, Maiduguri, Borno State.
Dr. Haruna Abubakar Shehu – Federal Medical Centre, Kafanchan, Kaduna State.
Each appointment is for a four-year term, effective from the date of assumption of duty.
President Tinubu congratulated the appointees, urging them to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and service delivery. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improving medical infrastructure and ensuring quality healthcare access for all Nigerians.
Senator representing Kebbi South Senatorial District, Garba Maidoki has called for the establishment of a Federal Medical Centre to be situated in Zuru to cater for the health needs of the District and its environs.
The lawmaker in the 10th National Assembly made the call during a public hearing on the Bill to establish Federal Medical Centre in Zuru organized by the Senate Committee on Health.
In a memorandum presented at the hearing by the lawmaker, he explained that the aim is to provide tertiary healthcare facilities to the people of Zuru in Kebbi State in the North West Nigeria.
He further noted that the establishment of FMCs across the country was initiated by Decree No. 10 of 1985, with the aim of providing tertiary healthcare services.
According to him, the FMC Birnin Kebbi was established on June 6, 2000, and has since been upgraded to a University Teaching Hospital.
The lawmaker stated that the large population and the challenges faced in accessing healthcare services, necessitates the establishment of FMC in the state.
“In Birnin Kebbi, the state capital, the distance between Zuru Emirate and Birnin Kebbi is approximately 240 km, making it difficult for patients, especially children and pregnant women, to access secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities”, he lamented.
Senator Maidoki charged his colleagues and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to support the bill, saying healthcare is a fundamental privilege expected from any government.
The lawmaker who is the sponsor of the bill told journalists during a chat that the Federal Medical Center, when established will not only cater for the tertiary healthcare needs of Kebbi State, but will also serve the adjoining states like Niger and Zamfara.
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