From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia women have lauded The Challenge Initiative (TCI), a family planning agency in Nigeria, for its efforts in providing free healthcare services to women in the state.
Speaking during a media tour of TCI renovated Primary Health Centres (PHC) at Osaa Okea and Umuola Egbelu communities in Obingwa and Aba North Local Government Areas of Abia State, the women said they were happy with what TCI was doing to not only bring healthcare to the rural communities, but also enlighten women on modern family planning/childbirth spacing.
Regina Uzuegbu, who spoke on behalf of other women at Obingwa, said with what TCI has put in place, women of the area have not only come to know what to do to avoid unwanted pregnancies and childbirth spacing, but can now access healthcare at a health centre with modern facilities.
“We the women of this state are happy with what TCI is doing in some of our health centres. Apart from renovating the health centres that were in deplorable condition before now, they have also made us to understand what family planning is all about.
“We’ve come to embrace this family planning method and I tell you that our husbands are in full support of us since this method will stop us from having many children and unwanted pregnancies”.
At Umuola Egbelu PHC in Aba North Local Government Area, the women commended TCI for renovating the health centre, enlightening them on modern family methods and providing them with healthcare consumables that assist them during childbirth.
The women said since the coming of TCI to the area, some of the challenges associated with childbirth have drastically reduced, while cases of unwanted pregnancies have been eliminated.
They urged the state government to compliment the efforts of TCI in making the services provided by the agency get to more women in the state.
Health workers trained by TCI in specialized areas of modern family planning and others, explained in details the interventionist programme of TCI and urged women in the state to avail themselves of the opportunity provided by the programme to better their lots and that of their families.
The team was led by Dr. Obasesam Edet, the State Programme Coordinator of TCI, who equally urged women in the state to embrace the modern family planning technique provided by his agency.