What seemed like a dream but turned into reality for the people of Edegaki Community in Koton Karfe Local Government Area of Kogi State was a Primary Health Centre, newly built and furnished with state of the art modern day equipment and facilities. Dignitaries and visitors who graced the occasion of the commissioning ceremony were greeted amidst cheers, songs and dances by the women and youth who could not but express their joy at the event.
The twenty-bed PHC was awarded by the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs and facilitated by Alh. Hassan Sha’uibu Ohimozi, an illustrious son of Koton Karfe Local Government. The PHC Facility was commissioned by His Royal Majesty, the Ohimegye Igu of Koton Karfe, Alh. Abdulrazaq Gambo Sani Isah Koto.
In his goodwill message, the Executive Director, Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Abubakar Yakubu thanked the facilitators of the project for adding value to their community and urged others who in like positions to emulate same as Government alone cannot sufficiently meet the needs and yearnings of the people..
Dr. Yakubu who was represented by the Director Administration and Finance, Mr. Akor O.M. enjoined the community to take ownership of the Centre and prevent miscreants from vandalizing the facilities provided.
He called on the Local Government Authority to provide adequate personnel to commence quality and efficient primary health care services to the community and its environs.
In his address, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Princess Adegoke Orelope Adefulire who was represented by the Head of Procurement on SDGs, Alh. Usman Ada Shaibu said the project was one of the efforts of the SDGs to make health care services accessible to the people in communities across all the States of the Federation.
He urged the traditional institution to assist in the supervision and proper maintenance of the equipment at the Centre.
Also speaking, the Facilitator of the Project, Alh. Hassan Shuaibu Ohimozi said he was happy that the project has become a reality; saying that the project which started some time ago has been successfully completed and well equipped with facilities, Solar Powered and with a Generator set on standby, adding that drugs worth millions of naira have been procured to enable the health Centre to kick start operations immediately.
Alh. Hassan who was grateful to the Almighty God for taking them through the journey to complete the project noted that the project would not be the last in the Local Government as God would use them to attract more projects to the area.
Addressing the gathering, the Ohimegye Igu of KotonKarfe, HRM, Alh. Abdulrazaq Gambo Sani Isah Koto, expressed happiness over the facility situated in Edegaki community as it will address medical emergencies cutting across other communities of Lokoja and Kogi LGAs. He emphasized the need for sustainability. He pointed to the representative from SDG – Alh Adakeke Shuaibu – to assist in addition to the problem of environmental degradation affecting the communities of which the Edegaki community is one, to do more for the Riverine communities and called on Government at all levels to come to their aid.
The Ohimegye emphatically appreciated the work of the Primary Health Care Workers in Kogi Local Government and by extension the State PHCDA and employed them to remain committed to their assignments. He however appealed for technical experts, competent and hardworking officers to be posted to manage the Facility.
Earlier, the spokesman of the Community, Barr. Alhassan Ibrahim thanked the facilitators of the project for bringing the project to the community, saying the community would forever be grateful for the gesture. He gave assurances of the commitment of the community towards ensuring that the facilities are maintained and protected against vandals for the benefit of all.
Highpoints of the occasion was awards presentation from the National Association of Nigerian Students to the Facilitator Alh Hassan Shu’aibu and the official commissioning of the project by HRM, the Ohimegye Igu of Koton Karfe, Alh. Abdulrazaq Gambo Sani Isah Koto amongst traditional dances and entertainment.
“I have been a student of Primary Health Care, since my ascension, I have monitored programmes and progresses of primary health care, particularly Kogi Local Government. Sincerely, I have a very impressive report about their performances. I think its one sector- 24 hours they are working and I have also been an advocate of maybe 60% of health budget to primary health care, because of the preventive nature and proactiveness of health issues and challenges.”
The Ohimegye Igu of Koton Karfe
HRM Alh Abdulrazaq Gambo Sani Isah Koto
“with the support of the LGA in providing competent Staff to man this facility temporarily, the Agency will do all within its abilities to ensure adequate staffing of the facility and ensure movement of such staff in the implementation process of Primary Health care under One Roof (PHCUOR). ”
Dr Abubakar Yakubu
ED KSPHCDA
Protected by Patchstack