Health centre brings relief to Shere Koko community
Japan Embassy in Nigeria, in collaboration with a non governmental organisation, has built, equipped and donated a primary healthcare centre to Shere Koko residents.
Before now, residents of the community in Bwari Area Council, travelled long distances to neighbouring communities to access healthcare.
The health centre consists of 15 beds - three in a male ward, six in a female ward, four for postnatal and two for a maternity ward.
“The labour room has an attached toilet and store,” said Selina Enyioha, executive director of Citizen’s Health Education and Development Initiative (CHEIDI) that worked with the Japanese embassy on the health centre.
Construction of the health centre in Shere Koko started in 2016.
Recalling the condition of the old health facility Enyioha, said, “I realised that the centre was even worse than I imagined! Three-quarters of the roof had been blown off by the wind; most rooms had no doors and the toilets and bathrooms were being used as garbage dumps.
“The labour room had a seriously leaking roof, damp floor and rusted delivery bed. Women were being attended to for antenatal care in a room where the roof was almost resting on their heads.”
She engaged the Japanese embassy and CHEIDI got the contract to build the new health facility - a solarpowered health centre with a hand pump borehole.
The Japanese ambassador to Nigeria, Sadanobu Kusaoke, said, “Improving the quality of life is on our top agenda for our engagement with Nigeria.”
He said grant assistance for grassroots human security projects had been made on 158 projects before Shere Koko, adding that the assistance in Shere Koko is expected to improve basic medical services for residents and serve as a building block for a better Nigeria.
Health Minister Isaac Adewole said the new health centre “is a step to bridging the gap” in the health care delivery.
In his comments, presented by Akin Okemakinde, Director of Health Planning Research and Statistics, the minister said the Federal Government was committed to revamping primary health care and fostering linkages for antenatal services.
Umar Akoshi Shere, a resident of Shere Koko, said the new health care centre will save residents the horror of travelling the several kilometres’ drive through deplorable road.
“Everybody is happy, because before the construction, when you see what served us as hospital you will be sad due to its dilapidated state,” said Shere.
While recalling her ordeals to accessing quality healthcare, Aisha Mohammed said she travelled several kilometres on a motorcycle to deliver her three children.