BY Mayowa Tijani
The Ibadan Chapter of the Junior Chambers International (JCI) has renovated Community Health Centre, Patako, in Sango area of West Africa’s largest city, Ibadan.
The organisation said the renovation was done as part of its Access to Quality Health project, which led it to donate blood on World Blood Donation Day, June 14.
Speaking after the unveiling of the renovation works, Wale Bakare, president of JCI Ibadan, said the organization has a culture of taking a lead where there’s a need.
“Healthcare should not be dispensed under such conditions, but we cannot wait for the government to fix this. When we see a need, we take the lead,” he said.
“We are happy to renovate the entire facility and construct a shed for women seeking healthcare to sit comfortably. We have levied ourselves and identified partners to support us by donating medical equipment and supplies.”
The organization said its project focuses on improving the quality of healthcare, in furtherance of its commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 3 on good health and well-being.
Prior to the renovations, the health centre located opposite The Polytechnic Ibadan could only accommodate about 100 women with maternal related cases on a daily basis.
JCI observed that many women who either visited for ante-natal classes or immunization had to stand in the sun or rain for hours while waiting for their turn to be attended to.
The centre also had only one toilet facility, which was said to be in a deplorable state yet served about 300 people every week.
Due to the unhygienic conditions of some of the health center facilities, including a delivery bed which was infested, pregnant women and newborns were at risk of contracting infections in the process of child birth.
Adelabu Adeola, JCI Ibadan director of public relations and protocols, added that the organization proceeded with its drive to donate 100 pints of blood under the supervision of the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS).
According to the United Nations, about 108 million blood donations are collected globally every year, with nearly 50 percent of these blood donations collected in high-income countries.
The UN estimates that average blood donation rate is more than nine times greater in high-income than in low-income countries, a reality JCI Ibadan worked at changing by donating blood on Tuesday.
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