Project C.U.R.E., WHO, USAID partner with ABUAD
By: Tunde Olofintila
An American-based philanthropic organization, Project C.U.R.E., in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), USAID and AfeBabalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), will January 17, 2018 hold a one-day Train-the-Trainers programmetagged “Helping Babies Breathe” (HBB) in support of the University’s ultra-modern 400-bed Multi System Hospital and in honour of Yeye Aare ModupeBabalola, the wife of ABUAD’s Founder, Aare AfeBabalola, CON, SAN.
Since the commencement of the HBB programme in 2013, Project C.U.R.E has trained 1,343 In-country Birth Attendants, sent 95 U.S. Master Trainers abroad and facilitated 38 Train-the-Trainers Trips worldwide while an estimated 60,500 newborns have been saved as a result of its HBB efforts.
The training, which will be anchored by Ms. Jennifer Manhoff and Ms. Amy Greene will zero-in on the availability of skilled Birth Attendants at birth, Assessment of every baby, Temperature support, Stimulation to breathe and Assisted ventilation as needed within the first minute of birth otherwise known as the “Golden Minute” after birth.
The one-day training programmefor women, Nurses, Midwives and Doctors as well as Allied Medical professionals is powered by Project C.U.R.E., WHO and USAID as well as ABUADand meant to ensure that babies don’t die within the first minute after birth, otherwise known as the “golden minute”.
According to Project C.U.R.E., 2.9 million newborns die of preventable causes every year. But over time, Project C.U.R.E introduced the Helping Babies Survive Programmes designed to address the three most common causes of preventable neonatal death: complications during childbirth, complications from preterm birth and neonatal infections.
After inspecting the facilities in the ABUAD Multi System Hospital in January last year and after witnessing the commissioning of the Hospital later on October 20, last year, Project C.U.R.E. took it upon itself to source for further resources, aids and grants to make the Hospital sure-footed. It was in furtherance of this that it secured WHO and USAID’s buy-in to organize this one-day Train-the-Trainers programme to garner support for the Hospital and in honour of Yeye Aare Modupe Babalola, to ensure that “a skilled Birth attendant is present at every birth”.
In bringing the smiles on the faces of the needy and bringing succour to the medically vulnerable, particularly women and children, Project C.U.R.E has been delivering, on a weekly basis, approximately three-truck loads of medical supplies and equipment to over 130 countries across the different continents of the world.
Besides, Project C.U.R.E. sends teams of Medical professionals to assist partner hospitals and clinics through its Clinic program and provides medical supplies to traveling Doctors and Nurses in the form of C.U.R.E. Kits in addition to sending Kits for Kids, a backpack filled with children’s basic medical items, for those with no health access in developing countries. All of this is done with the 17,000 individuals who volunteer with Project C.U.R.E. annually.
ABUAD Multi System Hospital which the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University Teaching Hospital (UCH), Prof. TemitopeAlonge, dubbed “the answer to outward Medical tourism in Nigeria”, was commissioned on October 20, last year at an elaborate ceremony which was witnessed by the crème-de-la-crème of the society made up of members of the Bar and Bench, royalty, clergy and captains of industry, high ranking players in the Health sector as well as top politicians.
In his own words, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole said: “This Hospital will offer us what we hitherto believe cannot happen in this country. It will also improve the poor Health Indicators in Nigeria. With what I have seen here today, this Hospital matches the best in the world and it will certainly put an end to Medical Tourism outside Nigeria”.
ABUAD multi-billion Naira Multi System Hospital which will commence full operations later this month is primed to buoy the economy of the state with thousands of jobs and bring quality health care of international standard to Nigerians at affordable cost and make the Hospital the Mecca of quality health care delivery, thereby reducing the quantum of foreign exchange Nigerians expend on medicare abroad both in the short and long run. Indeed, it will checkmate the annual wastage of foreign exchange on people going for treatment outside the country.
In order to add international flavor to the nation’s health care delivery, teaching, training and research, the Hospital which is built on 60 hectares of land has entered into partnership with some reputable players in the global Heath Industry such as the world renowned Abbot Laboratories, Aster Hospital, Dubai, Project C.U.R.E., USA, Narula, India, JNC International, Trigenesis, India, Protech Gas, Adler of England, College of Pharmacy, Howard University, USA and Bridge of Life (BOL), USA, as well as Care4You Association of Denmark.
The Hospital which has five Modular Theatres equipped with Pneumatic Tubes is populated with the following Specialist Equipment among others: SPEC Scan, CT SCAN, MRI and Ultrasound Scan/X-ray. It also has the following Surgical Specialties: General Surgery, Paediatric Surgery, Plastic, Urology, Orthopedics, Neuro-Surgical Specialties, Cancer Surgery (Oncology), Endocrine Surgery.
To make things easier for clients, it is also constructed with an accompanying Helipad that will support people/clients being brought in from any part of the country with ease to avoid the challenges posed by the poor nature of road network in the country.
Olofintila wrote from Ado-Ekiti