Health
VSF donates medical equipment to FCT COVID-19 Taskforce to fight pandemic
A non-governmental organization, Victims Support Fund (VSF) on Tuesday donated medical equipment worth millions of naira to the FCT COVID-19 Taskforce in order to fight the pandemic.
Handing over the supplies, the Executive Director, Victims Support Fund, Prof. Sunday Ochoche who was accompanied by some members of his Committee, in his address explained that VSF was committed to ameliorating the plight of the vulnerables in IDP camps.
He said the medical supplies was a second part of the intervention by the VSF, having earlier supplied food items and other form of palliatives to States across the Federation.
He said: “I am here with my boss, and some members of the Committee, Mr. Kashim who is representing the Chairman of Victims Support Fund.
“You will recall that on 14th April this year, at the Malaysia Garden, one of the IDP camps, in Abuja, Victims Support Fund (VSF) formally flagged off COVID-19 emergency intervention in support of the vulnerables at IDP camps across the country and we distributed significant quantities of foods and other palliatives across the country.
“To FCT residents, we moved to Yobe, Borno, Adamawa to Taraba, Edo to Delta to Ebonyi, to Enugu and we have reached over 30,000 households and over a total close 200,000 persons.
“This is a continuation of the whole of that process; this is a second part of our intervention in FCT where we gave out food items before; now we are bringing medical items, post primary and secondary support for COVID-19 vulnerables as well as personal protection equipment. So they are medical team working hard to provide support for victims of COVID-19.
Adding, the head of the VSF COVID-19 Taskforce, maintained that they have been travelling round the country to distribute food items, non food items and drugs, noting that it took collaborative effort to fight the virus.
“All of us here have been monitoring the rate of infections in FCT and it’s very important that we put our hands on deck to ensure that the rate of infection is drastically reduced and mitigated.
According to him, VSF believes in partnership with government and private agencies in fighting the pandemic, hence there was need to donate medical equipment in the interest of humanity.
“It’s our sincere hope that this donation will go along way in helping the residents of FCT and its environs.
“On behalf of the Chairman of Victims Support Fund, Retired Gen. T. Y. Danjuma, I hereby make symbolic presentation of medical items the FCT.
Receiving the donation, Dr. Mathew Achigbemi, Director Special Duties and Chief Consultant, Public health institutions, FCT Health Secretariat assured the VSF team that the items would be judiciously utilised.
He noted: “As you all know that basically we are in the process of fighting coronavirus and the FCT response is very comprehensive.
“We have five centres and in these centres all the health workers need personal protective equipment in order to care for others.”
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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