A rural maternity home in Abatete, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, has received medical equipment to strengthen maternal and newborn healthcare services.
The equipment was donated by a Canada-based Nigerian doctor, Dr Charles Kene Ojukwu, through the Charles Kene Ojukwu Initiative Foundation to the Immaculate Heart Maternity Home and Laboratory Centre at Christ the King Parish, Abatete.
Commissioning the equipment on October 11, the Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, Most Rev. Valerian Maduka Okeke, called for increased investment in rural healthcare, urging governments, communities and Nigerians in the diaspora to support primary healthcare facilities.
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Archbishop Okeke also stressed the need for transparency in managing funds sent home by Nigerians abroad for community development, warning that mismanagement could discourage further contributions.
The donated equipment includes an autoclave, suction machine, cardiac monitor, oxygen cylinder, delivery bed, fetal Doppler, nebuliser, diagnostic ultrasound machine, phototherapy machine and minor surgical instruments. The facility was also repainted.
The Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, who represented the state government, commended Ojukwu for the intervention, saying it would support efforts to improve maternal and newborn healthcare.
Obidike urged individuals and organisations to contribute to the development of the health sector, particularly primary healthcare facilities serving rural communities.
Ojukwu said he was motivated to equip the centre after visiting it and observing shortages of essential medical equipment.
He explained that the intervention would complement government efforts by improving the facility’s capacity to manage childbirth-related complications and newborn emergencies.
According to him, the ultrasound machine would enable pregnant women to access scans within their community, while the phototherapy machine would support the treatment of newborn jaundice.
He added that the donated equipment would also improve emergency care, sterilisation of medical instruments and maternity procedures.
Ojukwu urged the state government to prioritise rural primary healthcare centres and provide equipment according to their specific needs.
Speaking on behalf of the facility’s management and staff, Sister Winifred Maduwuba appealed for a solar power system and a high-capacity generator to ensure a reliable electricity supply for medical equipment and uninterrupted healthcare services.
