The Ogun State Government has taken delivery of the second batch of equipment donated by Carter Centre, a Non-Governmental Organisation, for the School of Nursing, Idi Aba, Abeokuta.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Adesanya Ayinde, made this known in an interview with newsmen, saying the donation was received through the Nigerian Public Health Training Initiative (NPHTI), noting that the gesture would reduce maternal and child mortality burden on the State.
Dr. Ayinde disclosed that the items received included office equipment and furniture for tutors, classroom tables and chairs, oxygen concentrator, stretcher, school bus, 40KVA Mikano Generator, wheel chairs, hospital beds with mattresses, white boards, projector, computer sets, equipment for the demonstration room, amongst others.
He explained that the School was selected in 2014, as one of the six health training institutions in the six geopolitical zones of the country to benefit from NPHTI’s goal of building the capacity of the school in order to produce quality middle and lower level health workers for effective healthcare delivery.
The Permanent Secretary added that the present administration’s disposition towards Public Private Partnership would in no small measure impact positively on the health sector, according to him, “Our Schools of Nursing are among the best in the country. All we need is enough political backing to meet the requisite international standards. You know there is always little or no progress possible without political will.
In a separate interview, the Principal, School of Nursing, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Mrs. Dele Alonge, said the Carter Center had put in place training programmes for some tutors, adding that a baseline for assessing students’ performances had also been instituted.
Alonge appealed to State Government’s assistance in needed structures such as hostels, bigger demonstration room and more classrooms, as the Carter Centre had indicated the willingness to equip them, expressing optimism of full accreditation for the School soonest given the right government support, as the School had a current status of provisional accreditation by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN).
