Family planning services received a boost
recently, with the establishment of a new
clinic, Okokomaiko Primary Health Centre,
Iba Local Council Development Area
(LCDA), Lagos, by Nigerian Urban
Reproductive Health Initiative 2 (NURHI).
According to NURHI 2, the new clinic will
improve health services at the family
planning unit of Okokomaiko PHC which is
one of the 50 selected including hospitals
in the State under its “72-hour Family
Planning Clinic Make-Over’’ Project.
The initiative is targeted toward reducing
the high rate of maternal, infant and child
mortality in Lagos State through the up-
take of family planning, the organisation
said.
Speaking to the INDEPENDENT at the
clinic’s inauguration, Wale Haastrup, Senior
Programme Officer, Advocacy, NURHI,
Lagos State, said: “NURHI promotes the
use of family planning in the communities
where we work.
“For us to promote the use of family
planning services, we have to upgrade
these facilities to the basic standards that
they should be.
“In so doing, the providers will be able to
deliver optimal quality services to clients
and patients.
“NURHI’s concept of 72-hour make-over is
targeted at 50 health facilities where we
are working; we are in the process of
getting additional 50 facilities.
“So, we go in on Friday and complete work
on the facility to be open for use on
Monday; the idea is for family planning
service commodities to be readily available
in communities.’’
He added: “We also know that if a facility
is not user-friendly, people will not access
it.
“The Federal Government said that family
planning should be free at all levels but
when the facilities do not have the right
equipment to help provide these services, it
will affect choices and quality delivery.
“So, NURHI has provided these
commodities and equipment to facilitate all
necessary services for those who want
them,’’ Haastrup said.
According to him, family planning or child
birth spacing (CBS) has many benefits.
“ Family Planning is beneficial to mother,
children, father and the family as a whole.
“Spacing a child through family planning
methods helps the mother to regain her
health after delivery; it also gives the
woman the opportunity to love and give
attention to her husband and children.
“ Family Panning is also an important
intervention strategy to avert maternal,
infant and child deaths.
“It reduces maternal mortality by reducing
the number of unintended pregnancies, the
number of abortions and the proportion of
high risk births,’’ he said.
The Chairman of Iba LCDA, Ramota Oseni,
commended NURHI for the gesture.
Oseni, represented by Hon. Isiaka Yaya,
Vice-Chairman, Iba LCDA, said:
“Government cannot do it alone and that is
why we are happy with NURHI 2’s
initiative.
“We have seven PHCs in Iba LCDA, but the
one at Iba Local Government headquarters
is where most people go to.
“With the remodeling of this PHC,
especially the family planning section, our
people will be coming here; this will
decongest the number of people going to
Iba.
“We need more of this kind of initiatives
and commitment from necessary
stakeholders in the health sector,’’ Oseni
said.
Speaking on behalf of the community, Chief
Wahabi Eletu, the “Baale’’ of Okokomaiko,
said there was need to intensify awareness
on the benefits of family planning.
According to him, there is need for
increased government’s presence in the
community to facilitate growth and
development.
The community leader said that the people
would be committed to ensuring that the
unit was sustained and people were
mobilised and encouraged to use the family
planning services.
NURHI is funded by the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation to improve on
reproductive health especially, family
planning.
Source:
independent.ng/family-
planning-receives-boost-as-okokomaiko-
community-gets-new-clinic/
