Fidelis David in Akure
The Akure Businessmen and Professionals Roundtable (ABPR) has lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, on the resolution of the labour crisis which engulfed the Federal University Teaching Hospital (FUTATH).
This was coming on the suspension of the industrial action embarked upon by organised labour in the university.
An industrial crisis by the Ondo State organised labour unions which engulfed FUTATH, called off yesterday had grossly affected the teaching hospital, causing untold hardships to patients, students and apprehension to its host community and residents of Ondo State in general.
In a release issued by Dr. Olufemi Oyinsan, ABPR acknowledged Prof. Pate’s interventions towards the suspension of the strike action, and his commitment to the Renewed Hope agenda of the federal government in the health sector, especially President Tinubu’s fulfillment of his promise of the teaching hospital project to the Akure patriarch, Dr. Reuben Fasoranti.
ABPR also described as “empty threats” boasts from some quarters, which it said were against the President’s vision for Akure people, that any individual could withdraw the Akure General Hospital project from the federal government.
“ABPR welcomes the recent intervention by Prof Pate to restore normalcy of operation in FUTATH, in fulfillment of the Renewed Hope agenda. The unfortunate and unwarranted crisis created by the Ondo State Organised Labour Unions truncated this laudable Tinubu project at the newly established teaching hospital,” the release said.
While expressing “complete solidarity” with the Ondo State health workers agitating for absorption into the FUTA Teaching Hospital, the statement also expressed its pleasure that, following the minister’s intervention, the Federal Ministry of Health has begun taking steps to obtain approval of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation to widen the authorised takeoff establishment of the hospital, to accommodate additional staff from the old UNIMED Teaching Hospital.
It called on the Lucky Aiyedatiwa government to strengthen its health delivery by expanding the Akure Mother and Child Hospital and building additional hospitals to replace the Akure General Hospital handed over to the federal government.
ABPR however expressed what it called “our deep disappointment” at the lukewarm posture of the Ondo State Government and some highly-placed persons in the state capital to the labour crisis, which it said gave room for its festering and closure of the public hospital for such a long time, with its attendant effects on its hapless patients.
“Without a doubt, this unfortunate shutdown of the hospital must have had grave human and colossal economic consequences. For many residents, especially the low-income families, who cannot afford private care, the hospital is the only realistic source of emergency treatment, maternal and child health services, and chronic-care follow-up and they had been denied access to these services for this long,” it said.
The group further noted that engagement with the FG through the Coordinating Minister by the Ondo State Government to resolve staffing and service concerns could have been initiated as the first move much earlier, without recourse to what it called “this costly misadventure.”
In its words, “negotiations and advocacy are necessary and legitimate, but they must never come at the cost of patients’ lives and wellbeing. Responsible governance and labour unionism need not cost human lives and dire economic consequences as it has, in this case, for disputes to be resolved.”
While urging labour leaders to henceforth adopt enlightened dispute-resolution methods that protect essential services and to commit to avoiding future actions that endanger public health, ABPR urged FG and the Coordinating Minister to continue with the promised support, particularly the resources needed to restore full capacity to the hospital
“Our community must not be placed in a position where healthcare access would depend on the whims and caprices of a few individuals” ABPR said.
Group Decries Prevalence of Malaria, Typhoid Among Nigerians, Holds Eradication Programme
David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka
A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Youth on Ground Progressive and Mentorship Initiative (YOG,) has decried the prevalence of malaria and typhoid fever among Nigerians, especially at this season of the year, calling on citizens to guard against it.
The Founder and National Coordinator of the group, Dr. Obioma Nwuba, who spoke to journalists at Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, during a free medical outreach organised by the group described the twin diseases of malaria and typhoid as silent killers that need to be taken seriously and tackled once symptoms appear.
The group said even though its focus for organising the medical outreach was the eradication of malaria and typhoid, through free diagnosis and treatment, it also partnered Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA) and Knowledge Network for Disease Control and Vigilance (KNCV) to provide diagnosis, counselling and treatment for tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C, and HIV.
Nwuba while speaking with journalists said the group decided to engage in the outreach to ensure wellness among rural women and youth, with the aim of bringing healthcare services down to the grassroots, especially for those who can not ordinarily afford them.
He said, “You see the huge number of people we have here today. Most of these people are primarily here because of malaria and typhoid, and some have had it for weeks and months and because of financial constraints, they have been unable to treat themselves. So they suffer in silence.
“I urge other organisations to join us in conducting free medical outreaches, especially in the area of malaria and typhoid. This period is the time when the disease is very prevalent, because of the weather and the rainfall. It is a silent killer, so don’t see it as ordinary malaria and typhoid.
“There is no country that was built by the government alone, most of the big ideas were nurtured and driven by the private sector. Organisations need to sit up and complement the activities of the government. The President has set up the Renewed Hope Agenda and what organisations need to do is to key in and help government achieve their goal.
“You can see that the people are happy, they are getting screened for various diseases and also provided with drugs.”
The state coordinator of the YOG, Hon Azubuike Okafor, stated that the two day programme targets 2,000 patients and would also be extended to other parts of the country.
“We had the first one in Abuja and we are here now in Anambra State. From here we are moving to Edo State and later Kaduna too and we will keep extending it as our capacity can carry,” he said.