The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has rehabilitated the Basic Health Care Centre at Lanwa in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara.
At the commissioning of the project on Sunday , Mr Bello Hassan, the Managing Director of the NDIC, said the project was part of the corporate social responsibilities of the corporation, adding that it was among many of such projects being sponsored by NDIC across the country.
Hassan who was represented by Mr Chima Onyechere, the Zonal Controller, NDIC Ilorin explained that as far back as 1995, the corporation had instituted an endowment fund for several health institutions in the country and made generous donations through corporation’s project-based funding scheme.
“This initiative is part of the corporation’s pursuance of its corporate social responsibility to provide assistance in enhancement of the health sector, and to move the country forward, ” he said.
Hassan observed that most of the basic health institutions in Nigeria lacked functional infrastructure facilities, resulting in poor health standards.
He pointed out that against this background, it had become necessary for corporate organisations, other well meaning groups and individuals within and outside the country to assist the health institutions.
The NDIC boss emphasised on the important roles the corporation played in the country, adding that Deposit Insurance Scheme (DIS) had become key component of moat financial systems worldwide.
“For over 25 years NDIC is charged with mandates of deposit protection, has remained active safety nets player in spite of many daunting challenges.
“Apart from guaranteeing bank deposits up to the limits permitted by law, the corporation has been involved in the supervision of insured institutions as well as resolving the problems of failing and failed financial institutions,” he said.
In his remarks, Alhaji Issa Musa, the Officer in Charge of PHC Lanwa, commended NDIC for the humanitarian services to the community.
He noted that the timely interventions of the corporation was a prayer answered as the healthcare centre was in a dilapidated state.
According to him, the health facilities service about 40 communities within Lanwa and that this gesture came at the right time.
“NDIC has done wonderful job of renovating the facilities and providing the necessary equipment and consumables needed.
“However, we still have the challenges of under staffing. We don’t have nurses as I am the only qualified staff on ground, there are no lab technicians, pharmacists, nurses, midwives and doctors,” he lamented.
Musa lamented that the health centre even lacked cleaners and night guards, while appealing to the state government to complement the job done by the NDIC by providing health workers and necessary drugs for the welfare of the citizens.
The Officer in charge of the facility also reminded the government of the dangerous and bad road network linking many communities to Lanwa, while urging the government to reconstruct the roads for the development of the community and the state as a whole.
In his reaction, Dr Raji Razaq, Kwara Commissioner for Health, commended the corporation for the kind gesture, adding that state government alone could not take care of all the health needs of the citizens and solicited the contributions of all stakeholders.
Razaq, who was represented by Dr Stephen Arigidi, the Deputy Director of Medical Services and Training in the Ministry of Health, stated that Lanwa was an ancient railway community that served other surrounding communities with the basic health centre.
He assured that the government was committed to promoting the health of the citizenry as it had released counterpart funds for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
The commissioner disclosed that presently the state government had commenced the free medical, surgical interventions across the 16 local government areas of the state.(NAN)