By Isaac Atunlute
For years, the Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in Owena-Ijesha, a rural community in Osun State, operated with limited resources. Expectant mothers gave birth on worn-out beds, and medical staff relied on experience and intuition rather than modern diagnostic tools.
Despite challenges, however, dedicated health workers continued to care for dozens of patients daily, doing their best with outdated equipment.
But with a recent donation of medical equipment worth N30 million, facilitated by Senator Francis Fadahunsi and the Federal Ministry of Health, things might be about to change.
On June 18, Owena-Ijesha PHC received 42 core equipment ranging from diagnostic kits and delivery couches to artery forceps, gallipots, thermometers, kidney dishes, sterilizers, weighing scales, and a fotoscope. All were based on the specific medical needs of the facility.
While the action is modest in relation to the nation’s healthcare shortage, its effect is locally considerable.
“I want to promise that the equipment will be safe. We are living in this center, and we will make sure that the equipment is used for the benefit of the people,” promised Gbonjubola Sarumi, the facility head.
The intervention is not a total fix, but a good beginning. To the hundreds of patients it will treat each month, it will be life-altering. Similar needs-based interventions have proven effective elsewhere.
The Primary Healthcare Centre in Owena-Ijesha, Osun State, has long operated with minimal resources, impacting the quality of maternal care and diagnosis.
Despite the challenges, dedicated health workers continued treating numerous patients daily.
A recent donation of medical equipment worth N30 million, organized by Senator Francis Fadahunsi and the Federal Ministry of Health, marks a potential turning point for the facility.
The donation includes 42 essential medical items such as diagnostic kits, delivery couches, and sterilizers, tailored to the PHC's needs.
Although the initiative doesn’t address the nation's entire healthcare deficit, it significantly impacts the local community, promising safer and more effective care.
Facility head Gbonjubola Sarumi assures the community that the new equipment will be safeguarded and effectively utilized, offering a much-needed improvement for the PHC’s numerous patients.
