Maternal, infant health: Seyi Tinubu intensifies intervention for indigent women, children

 

Seyi Tinubu has stated that tackling the economic challenges faced by indigent women is essential to reducing maternal and infant mortality in Nigeria.

He emphasised that lowering the country’s global ranking in maternal and infant mortality requires concerted efforts to ensure access to quality healthcare for indigent women and their children.

Seyi, the son of President Bola Tinubu, explained that it was in support of this goal that he initiated the Drug Banks for Indigent Patients in Obstetrics & Gynecology and Pediatric Pharmacy Intervention for Infant and Maternal Healthcare for 60 tertiary health institutions nationwide.

The objective is to provide essential medications for 10,000 indigent patients monthly to bridge the healthcare gap for vulnerable women and children.

Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday during the donation of drugs and other medical consumables to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, Abuja in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Seyi Tinubu also reiterated his determination to cover the 60 health facilities within the year in time for the second phase to begin in earnest.

Upon completing the first phase, the project will progress to its second phase, broadening its scope to include research.

Represented by Ojeje Amin Onimisi, he disclosed that the ability to provide quality healthcare services ranked high in the selection of beneficiary tertiary health institutions.

“Our choice of tertiary health care institution is to make sure that these drugs are domiciled in institutions, or the program starts in institutions that already have an established structure that we are very sure can manage these interventions.

“We are happy to give this drug bank here, and we are very optimistic the drugs will be used judiciously to reduce maternal and child mortality, which is the primary objective of the project

“Time is of the essence. We want to make sure that the entire 60 hospitals are covered before the end of the year so that we can enter the second phase by next year,” he said.

Onimisi, who noted that the donation demonstrates Seyi Tinubu’s commitment to giving back to the community and supporting Nigeria’s healthcare sector, said, “His generosity will undoubtedly make a significant impact on the lives of many Nigerians.”

The National Coordinator of the project, Benson Cole, who noted that access to quality healthcare is a fundamental right, added that Seyi Tinubu is proud to support the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja in providing excellent care to Nigerians.

Revealing that with time, the project would institute some research to make the initiative more robust, Cole said: “Mr. Seyi Tinubu is quite frankly not happy with the infant mortality rate that we have. The maternal mortality rate that we have, as you heard earlier, is the fourth largest in the world.

“Our indices are not good enough, and so this intervention is aimed at reducing the maternal and infant mortality figures in Nigeria, which is quite woeful at this moment.

“So this is the passion that Mr. Seyi Tinubu has to assist, especially the caregivers, in rendering care to the indigent patients who cannot afford to pay at a time of need, and then end up contributing to these unfortunate statistics, simply because they couldn’t afford care, and then most of the time they pass away in the process of abandonment.”

The Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Saad Ahmed, appreciated the gesture of Seyi Tinubu while assuring him to utilize the donation for the purposes it was meant for.

Ahmed, who was represented by the Head of Clinical Services, Bioku Muftau, said: “We are deeply grateful to Mr Seyi Tinubu for this generous donation, this gesture will significantly enhance our capacity to provide quality care to our patients and support Nigeria’s healthcare system, especially the indigent patients, Maternal and Child Care health services.”

As part of the project, a N1m scholarship was also awarded to Mohammed Fatimah, for emerging as the best Resident Doctor in the Paediatric Unit.

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