Doris Obinna
In its recent report on maternal and child death, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) revealed that inadequate and non-functional health facilities, shortage of critical human resources were responsible for the situation.
It also stated that inadequate power or water supply, commodity stock-outs, equipment inadequacy and weak standards/quality, very low demand for critical services largely driven by loss of confidence in the system aggravated the situation.
Child mortality is a big deal, and a lot of people are fighting to reduce it in the developing world.
While motherhood is often a positive and fulfilling experience, for too many women, it is associated with ill-health and even death. The death of a woman during pregnancy, labour or puerperium, is a tragedy that comes with a huge burden of grief and pain, and has been described as a major public health problem in developing countries. In fairness to Nigeria, maternal and child mortality is not an uncommon event in several parts of the developing world. Mothers and children are at highest risk for disease and death.
Nigeria is the most populous black nation in the world, but has an unenviable infant mortality rate of 71.20 out of 1,000 children and a woman’s chance of dying from pregnancy and childbirth is 1 in 3 according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Maternal and child mortality is closely linked to poverty and malnutrition, an underlying contributor in over half of these deaths.
Catalyst of change
One obvious fact is that societies do not need an entire number of companies to transform them; societies need one company at a time. For communities in Edo and Delta, that company is SEPLAT Petroleum Development Company Plc. It is indeed refreshing to learn about an independent indigenous company that has fully committed herself to the role of using her own resources to transform otherwise sleepy communities into destinations of choice in Nigeria.
Speaking during the company’s recent safe motherhood corporate social responsibility (CSR) Programme held in Sapele, Delta State, the General Manager, External Affairs and Communications, SEPLAT, Dr. Chioma Nwachuku, stated that the company had a set goal before initiating the programme.
Nwachuku, who was represented by the Base Manager, Western Assets, SEPLAT, Mr. Emmanuel Otokhine, was quoted to have said: “Our expectation when we started was to provide maternal and child health interventions and the revitalisation of primary health centres in our communities, which will lead to the reduction of maternal and infant mortality by educating and empowering women and girls about maternal health issues.”
“Looking at the statistics released on what has been achieved over the past five years alone, it is safe to say SEPLAT is achieving her set goals. 24,499 pregnant women have been screened, not less than 1,500 children have been vaccinated, a 30-bed female and children’s ward in a hospital renovated and equipped, 3 health centres in various communities revitalised and Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) integrated to modern safe delivery methods in its Western Asset communities, whilst making inroads in the Eastern Asset.
“Expectedly, relevant stakeholders like the state governments, ministries of health, medical and professional associations and community health centres, have thrown their weight behind the company and the immeasurable initiative. One can clearly see that the cooperation from the communities derives from the trust and transparency resulting from mode of deployment of the programme. Consistent, seamless and dependable are the words to describe the initiative.”
“As part of the initiative last year with the theme ‘Child Spacing,’ which is in line with the third Sustainable Development Goal (SDG3) of the United Nation (UN) that promotes good health and well-being, the company renovated the Oben Cottage Hospital in Oben, Edo State. The 28-bed hospital was part of the assets acquired by SEPLAT following the divestment by Shell in 2010 of its interests in OMLs 4, 38 and 41.
The renovated hospital has amenities like: consulting room, maternity ward, male ward, female ward, laboratory, heart-to-heart centre, primary healthcare centre (PHC), pharmacy, theatre, nurses’ common room, labour room, records unit, outpatient department (OPD) and accounts unit,” he stated.
Also speaking, Deputy Manager, SEPLAT JV, NPDC, Mr. Efifia Chu, emphasised that host communities are critical stakeholders and as partners that are committed to shared value, NPDC/ SEPLAT JV is doing everything possible to put in place interventions that will benefit host communities.
He stated that the relationship with the community is not a sprint relationship, but a marathon, adding that: “We are committed to making a lot of investments in our people and communities.”
What rattles industry observers is how an indigenous company could make such tremendous strides and become a reference point for other players in the industry.
At the recently concluded Safe Motherhood activation, Assistant Director (Geology), Gas Department, Delta State Ministry of Oil and Gas, Dr. Ikoro Efe, who represented the commissioner for Oil and Gas, Delta State, commended SEPLAT for the CSR programmes, which have positively impacted the lives of members of the host communities and urged the company to sustain the initiative.
“This is very commendable and I would like to say a big thank you to SEPLAT for coming up with such an initiative to support the Delta State government and its people,” he said, urging other companies to emulate SEPLAT.
“Few companies are regarded as the catalyst of change judging by their Corporate Social Responsibility. With her activities in Niger Delta, SEPLAT has earned the right to be mentioned in the same sentence with those catalysts of change.”