Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, on Monday, inaugurated a mission hospital remodeled at the cost of N300m in Ihe community, Awgu Area Council of the state.
The hospital was remodeled by the members of Ihe Development Initiative (IDI), a group of entrepreneurs, academics and servicemen from the community.
The hospital was established in 1976 by the Catholic Diocese of Enugu through the assistance of Ihe traditional ruler, late Dennis Nwachukwu but now managed by the Catholic Diocese of Awgu.
Mbah, represented by the State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Emmanuel Obi, said the project aligned with his administration’s plan to bring healthcare delivery closer to people in the rural areas.
According to the governor, It is a thing of honour to see how IDI and the Ihe community have joined in supporting the innovative push of his administration with the developmental project.
“It is very commendable because it aligns with policies of the Enugu State government, which include a move to push the poverty index of the state to zero.
“What they have done is to refurbish and bring a new face to healthcare delivery to Ihe and its environs,” Mbah said.
He, however, called for stronger partnership between the community and Catholics Diocese of Awgu to sustain the facelift of the hospital.
“Since it is a mission hospital, we will partner with them when they write officially to us,” he said.
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The Bishop of the diocese, Most Rev. John Okoye, also expressed happiness with the intervention by IDI in transforming the hospital to serve humanity better.
“I say congratulations to them and I encourage them to look to other areas where people suffer to provide help.”
He pledged to look into the hospital being understaffed as observed, adding that the diocese would partner with the community to sustain the hospital by providing the needed manpower.
The clergy urged members of the community and its environs to keep patronising the hospital for better healthcare delivery.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the event, Air Commodore Chiemeka Ozoemena (Rtd), lauded the team work in transforming the hospital.
“I therefore, urge all sons and daughters of Ihe, the Catholic Diocese of Awgu as well as workers in this facility to always remember that this accomplishment belongs to all of us and to take care of it.”
Earlier, Dr Madueke Ekoh, the President Ihe Development Initiative (IDI), said they engaged in the remodeling of the hospital to help their people and make their lives better.
He said before the intervention, the hospital was a ghost area, completely dilapidated with non functional facilities.
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“Based on that, we were tasked with developing modalities to effectively and efficiently galvanize support to initiate a rescue mission.
“IDI was able to raise some resources through ourselves, well-wishers and friends both home and abroad. We raised about N300 million to do all these things.
“We rebuilt the main building, refurbished the general ward, purchased new hospital beds with accessories, new maternity labour bed, high quality office chairs and table.
“We rebuilt staff quarters, built a fence with new rails and gate and solar powered borehole with full reticulation to all areas of the hospital.
“We also installed high capacity 10KVA solar power, established drainage systems, refurbished hospital ambulance and performed general landscaping with asphalted pavements,” Ekoh said.
He explained that IDI would set up a Hospital Endowment Fund where people can donate to sustain the hospital.
Highlights of the event include bestowing of awards to distinguished members of the community, presentation of cash gifts to students of the community who excelled in their studies and others.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is alerting the public about the recall of Nivea BLACK &WHITE Invisible Roll-on deodorant, 50ml marked 48H Protection in African Climate with batch number: 93529610 by European Union (EU) Rapid Alert System for Dangerous Non-Food Products (RAPEX) in Brussels.
The recalled Nivea product is said to contain 2-(4-tert-Butylbenzyl propionaldehyde (BMHCA), a chemical prohibited in cosmetics products due to its ability to cause harm to the reproductive system, impairs the health of an unborn child as well as skin irritation and burns to users.
Product details
The details of the product are as follows.
Product Name: Nivea BLACK &WHITE Invisible Roll-on deodorant, 50ml
Country of Manufacture: Germany
Batch Number: 93529610
Bar Code Number: 42299882
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Category: Cosmetics
Importers, distributors, retailers, and consumers are advised to exercise caution and vigilance within the supply chain to avoid the importation, distribution, sale, and use of the above-mentioned Nivea Roll-on with the affected batch. Members of the public in possession of the affected batch of product should discontinue the sale or use and submit stock to the nearest NAFDAC office.
Healthcare professionals and consumers are encouraged to report adverse events experienced with the use of regulated products to the nearest NAFDAC office, via pharmacovigilance@nafdac.gov.ng, E-reporting platforms available at www.nafdac.gov.ng or via the Med-safety application for download on android and IOS stores.
The Enugu State Government has announced its intention to revamp the existing infrastructural facilities to give the Enugu State College of Health Technology in Oji River a face-lift and also scale-up institution to a technology-savvy citadel of learning.
The government made this known during a meeting with the management, staff, and students of the institution at the Enugu State Government House at the weekend, stressing its commitment to ensuring quality health service delivery in the state.
The government, which made this known through the Special Adviser on Health Matters, Dr. Yomi Jaye, also asked the students of the institution to go back to school and continue with their academic calendar, as all those involved in the recent breach of security in the school’s neighborhood had been rounded up and now facing the law.
The governor equally gave the college management a two-week ultimatum to develop a workplan, which the government would work on to ensure that the school functions at its optimum level.
Briefing Government House correspondents after the meeting, Dr. Jaye said, “We interacted with the management, staff and students of the Enugu State College of Health Technology, Orji River, to come up with a strategic plan to revamp the college and restore its lost glory. His Excellency, Governor Peter Mbah, has expressed his willingness not only to revamp the school, but to upscale it to a technology-savvy teaching community.
“As you can see, the government is bullish about building Type-2 Healthcare Centre in each of the 260 wards and this college will produce some of the qualified workers that will deliver quality healthcare services to Ndi Enugu.
“We appeal to the parents and guardians to allow the students to go back to school and resume their academic activities as more security personnel have been deployed to make sure that both Oji River and its neighbouring communities are properly secured.
“It is also important to inform you that those who perpetrated the security breach have since been arrested and the victims, which included one student, also freed,” he maintained.
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Also speaking, the Provost of the College, Dr. Lazarus Ezugwu, expressed his happiness over the state government’s move to revamp the institution, saying he was optimistic that the glory of the institution would be restored in no distant time.
When commending Governor Peter Mbah and the security agencies for their swift response to the recent security breach at the College, he also confirmed that security had been strengthened around the institution and Oji River in general.
“The meeting is such a commendable one. It goes a long way in telling us the type of visionary leader we have in the state. To be sincere, the total overhaul that will be done in the college is going to be enormous. What is coming to the college cannot be imagined because the governor has shown both special interest and political will. This is what we have been yearning for, for so many years,” Dr. Ezugwu stated.
As part of her 2024 August Meeting support to women, the wife of the governor of Enugu State, Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah, has rolled out an eyecare programme for the screening and treating of at least 500 women with various eye problems.
The programme, which kicked off on Monday at the state’s Ministry of Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Independence Layout, Enugu, is being organised in partnership with the Ministry and Balija Eyecare.
Speaking at the flag-off of the three-day programme on Monday, the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mr. Ngozi Enih, said it was in continuation of Mrs. Mbah’s efforts to make life better for Enugu women.
“This exercise is in partnership with the Office of the First Lady and Balija Eyecare. The exciting thing about this partnership is that these women are being screened free of charge. For those who need lenses, we give them lenses and those who need further referral, we will refer them.
“We invite every woman in Enugu State, but Her Excellency’s target is to screen at least 500 women in Enugu she has provided more than enough resources to bankroll the programme.
“Medication, screening and glasses are free of charge to make sure that 500 women in Enugu State, who are suffering from sight problems are taken care of. The screening is going to take place for 3 days.
“Remember that recently, Her Excellency enrolled 1,701 pregnant women into a one-year health insurance scheme through her Mama Care Initiative, and this is apart from 100 expectant mothers who were previously enrolled. The good thing about this programme is that it trickles down to the grassroots. Most of the beneficiaries of this collaboration are mostly women from the grassroots.
“This is her way of giving back to society to make sure that our women, especially those who do not have the means, have proper eyecare. Sight is life, and women need good sight so that they can fend for their homes,” Mrs. Enih stated.
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Speaking to newsmen, the Director General, Sight Is Life Project for Enugu Women, Eze Emmanuel, said that eye condition among women, especially the rural dwellers, was a major concern to the wife of the governor, hinting that they planned to equally take the programme to the rural areas during the August Meeting.
Also, the Medical Director of Balija Eyecare, Dr. Ilodibe Onoja said the medical team had so far carried out comprehensive eye tests on numerous Enugu women, and were able to, in some cases, rule out eye problems like glaucoma, cataract, while also discovering some refractory errors like presbyopia, astigmatism and hypermetropia, which he said would be corrected with reading glasses.
He also blamed certain systemic health conditions like diabetes mellitus and hypertension for some eye problems.
The medical doctor, who warned against self-medication, urged Enugu women to take advantage of the benevolence of the governor’s wife to know their sight status.
