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Yesterday, the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) donated a pediatric ward to the Ogun State government owned hospital in Saala, Ayetoro.
The project was facilitated by NDIC President, Mrs. Ronke Sokefun, through her MRS Foundation.
The pediatric unit was donated by Sokefun in honor of his deceased parents, Mr. Anthony Idowu and Mrs. Idowu.
In his address at the groundbreaking and handover ceremony of the facility to the state government, Sokefun noted that the unit is fully equipped with two infant phototherapy machines.
Others, she said, are two baby incubators, two oxygen concentrators and two suction machines.
She added that the facility also has an emergency treatment room, a 10-bed admission room, a baby care room, a special baby care room for newborns, an isolation room for people with infectious and communicable diseases.
According to her, the unit also has a pharmacy, a doctor’s office, a head matron, a nursing station, a waiting room, a two-room apartment equipped with a kitchenette for parents and guardians for children and admission wards.
Sokefun further explained that the unit is also equipped with a backup solar power source for uninterrupted power supply in the facility.
She said the gesture was part of the NDIC’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative to complement the government’s efforts to add value to communities and improve people’s well-being.
The NDIC president added that the gesture was also born out of her desire to give back to the community.
“All around us there are gaps, especially with the provision of social amenities. The truth is that government cannot do everything, no matter how hard it tries.
“It is for this reason that we must all be determined to support and give back.
“Why the choice of a stand-alone pediatric unit?
“There is a saying that healthy children make a healthy nation. We have to feed our young babies and that is why this project was conceptualized,” she said.
Sokefun, however, urged the hospital management to make wise use of the facility.
In his remarks, Governor Dapo Abiodun in his address commended the NDIC and its President for their partnership with the quality health services of his administration.
Abiodun, who was represented by his chief of staff, Shuib Salisu, urged other well-meaning natives in the state as well as organizations to emulate the gesture.
“We need everyone to build the state and therefore this development today is welcome.
“The pediatric unit will not only serve the community of Ayetoro but also other communities here,” he said.
The director of the hospital, Dr. Olawale Maku, denounced its deplorable condition and appealed to the state government to provide the hospital with a visiting pediatrician to maximize the benefits of the project.
He said, “The issue of maternal and child health is a big challenge in Nigeria and Africa in general.”