Health
AWDROP announces partnership with Oyo govt. to provide efficient boreholes
THE Association of Waterwell Drilling Rig Owners and Practitioners, AWDROP has partnered with Oyo State government to unveil Project dubbed ‘ABIOLA’ – ‘All Boreholes In Oyo Live Again’ .
According to the association, the partnership through office of Sustainable Development Goals, SDG is to rehabilitate, reposition and make all borehole facilities to be more functional, provide new ones and enhance their sustainability.
Addressing newsmen during a press briefing on Monday in Ibadan, AWDROP President, Engr. Michael Ale described the project as a brilliant initiative that will promote sustainable development in provision of potable water for inhabitants in the state.
Ale added that the Project ‘ABIOLA’ is borne out of the association’s program, National Borehole Rejuvenation and Rehabilitation Program (NABORE) which incidentally is in line with the Partnership for Expanded Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, PEWASH program of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.
Commending the governor of the state, Senator Abiola Ajimobi for the privilege given to float the initiative noted that the project’s name, ABIOLA is not a sentiment but a coincidence to bring about positive development in the state.
In his words: “Project ABIOLA is an acronym, ‘All Boreholes In Oyo Live Again’, derived from an initiative between Office of Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs Oyo State Chapter and Association of Waterwell Drilling Rig Owners and Practitioners, AWDROP.
“The initiative is meant to address many issues and vices that have to do with borehole abandonment in Oyo State. A lot of investments had gone into these abandoned boreholes in the state like designing, fixture and management of boreholes. It has been normal occurrences everywhere that as soon as boreholes are commissioned, they start to develope faults after some while and the issue usually is, lack of management to make these boreholes continually function.
“And to government digged boreholes, people believe that they are less concerned and therefore leave these facilities uncatered for. This project thus allows partnership between the state government and private individuals to enhance its sustainability to further avoid situation where thieves and vandals destroy, cart away and make the facilities go moribund.
“AWDROP learnt a lot of money has been sunk in these moribund projects. This made the association at the national level came up with the idea to partner with SDG’s office of Oyo State Government to bring back these moribund boreholes to life again, to develop new infrastructural facilities and to inculcate habit of maintenance in the beneficiaries. This is to make them know that the project is neither for the state government nor office of the SDG but for them as beneficiaries.
“These boreholes will be in public places like markets, churches, motor parks and other public places where there are so many people. The head of these communities where these facilities are provided will be in charge of these facilities. The community heads will also help in areas of finding suitable locations to provide these facilities and their executions.
“We are also putting sustainable measure by commercializing the facilities through collection of stipends from the consumers. This will be done by attaching toilet facilities. When you are using toilets with water facilities, whoever managing that, will be earning income and therefore creating job for the person and invariably, the facilities will be maintained. Also, we have our numbers on the billboards, in case there are problems. We can be contacted and we will be there to fix the problems. That is why we are partnering with the state government.
“Above all, the project is meant to create employment through these infrastructural facilities. I have examples of infrastructures worth N10m while some worth N2 or N3m. If you give that to somebody, these can solve the person’s problem than to have such money staying idle on moribund projects.
“By all these strategies in place, it tells that our project’s name, ABIOLA is meant to bring back to life all boreholes in Oyo State. The name is not by sentiment but by coincidence and the coincidence is for good purpose”, the AWDROP boss explained.
Resident doctors at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH) in Ondo State have initiated a 14-day warning strike, as confirmed by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
The strike action, led by the association’s President, John Matthew, highlights various grievances, notably the non-payment of seven months’ salaries to new members.
Matthew added that the strike also addresses the non-payment of palliative to House Officers since February, the failure to disburse the February Hazard Allowance despite prior assurances from the state government, and the ongoing shortage of staff due to resignations.
Matthew lamented the drastic decrease in resident doctors, citing a decrease from 150 doctors to a mere 26 in recent months.
In response to the situation, he urged management to prioritise the full payment of arrears owed to members, immediate payment of the February 2024 palliative to house officers, and prompt disbursement of the February hazard allowance.
The association further called for urgent measures to address the critical shortage of clinical manpower within the institution.
The Federal Government has greenlit the allocation of N25 billion to bolster the efforts of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in advancing healthcare accessibility and quality across Nigeria.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, made this known, stressing the steadfast commitment of the current administration towards revamping the healthcare system to achieve Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC) for all Nigerians.
In a statement by Deworitshe Patricia, a spokesperson for the ministry, Pate emphasised that the government’s strategy for health sector transformation involves the implementation of a Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) and the Health Sector Renewal Investment Programme (NHSRIP).
Addressing the imperative for reforms in Nigeria’s primary healthcare delivery, Pate highlighted the significance of revising the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) and its associated programmes.
Pate outlined the objectives of the revised guidelines, which include expanding healthcare services for underserved populations, particularly women and children, reducing maternal mortality rates, alleviating out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, and standardizing healthcare quality across primary healthcare facilities nationwide.
“The Ministry, in collaboration with development partners, is dedicated to ensuring equitable access to healthcare services for all Nigerians, with a special focus on vulnerable groups,” stated Pate. “Through initiatives like NHSRIP, we aspire to minimize the need for long-distance travel for medical care, thereby improving the overall health outcomes and well-being of our citizens.”
In a monumental achievement for medical science, a team of Saudi professionals at the King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital has completed the separation surgery of Nigerian conjoined twins, Hassana and Husaina.
The directive for this historic achievement came from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, demonstrating the Kingdom’s commitment to advancing healthcare.
The complex procedure, initiated on Thursday morning, was the result of meticulous planning and execution by a dedicated team of 38 medical experts. This group included consultants, specialists, technicians, and nursing staff, all working in harmony to address shared areas in the lower abdomen, pelvis, lower spine, and lower spinal nerves of the twins.
The surgery, unfolding in nine carefully planned stages, lasted approximately 14 hours. Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Advisor at the Royal Court, Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), and head of the medical team, expressed confidence in the success of the procedure, citing a noteworthy 70% success rate.
“This is a momentous occasion that showcases the Kingdom’s commitment to advancing medical science and providing compassionate healthcare globally,” he said.
The successful separation of Hassana and Husaina commemorates the 60th operation conducted by the Saudi programme for separating conjoined twins. Over the past 34 years, this programme has offered care to 135 conjoined twins from 25 countries.
Dr. Al Rabeeah expressed heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the Saudi leadership for their steadfast support of the programme.
He said, “The successful separation of Hassana and Husaina exemplifies the Kingdom’s dedication to humanitarian causes and its role as a leader in global healthcare.”
The Press Attaché at the Saudi embassy in Abuja, Mohammed Alsahabi, remarked on the accomplishment, stating, “This remarkable feat underscores the strong collaboration between Saudi Arabia and Nigeria in healthcare. We take pride in contributing to the improvement of these twins’ lives and their families.”
The separation of Hassana and Husaina represents not just a medical triumph but also serves as a symbol of hope for numerous individuals confronting similar challenges globally.
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