Gideon Arinze in Enugu
The TY Danjuma Foundation has commissioned a multi-million naira Goodwill Medical Centre, a medical facility targeting provision of access to affordable and quality healthcare services in Enugu State.
The centre has provisions for maternal and child health, general primary healthcare, laboratory, eye health, prevention, and treatment of communicable diseases, general Surgery, accident and emergency services.
Speaking during the unveiling ceremony of the centre located in Umuchigbo Community, Enugu East Local Government Area, yesterday, chairman of the board of trustees of the foundation, Uche Amazigo said that it will provide comprehensive and robust health care services close to low-income and poor families in Enugu.
Amazigo explained that at the inception stage, over 2,000 members of low-income families in Umuchigbo and other Abakpa environs were interviewed and they spoke about the enormous challenge of accessing quality health care and listed the services that should be provided and their willingness to participate.
“This commenced the next phase of the project which was the set-up we started and completed in 13 months, ” she said.
“This centre with the assistance of seven consultant specialists and professors, will provide low-cost treatment for indigent patients and charge others (the rich) the standard medical fees,”. Amazigo further clarified.
She thanked the foundation for its contributions and investments in the health of the population, noting that the GMC project is only one of over 200 pro-poor projects funded by the TY Danjuma Foundation and implemented by 150 grantees in 36 states and the FCT.
She further explained that the center also plans to enrol over 1000 indigent people randomly selected from communities, into the National Health Insurance Authority/ Group, Individual, Family Social Health Insurance Programme (NHIA GIFSHIP) which will cost about NGN 15 million at the rate of NGN 15,000 per enrollee.
In his address, Founder and Chairman of the Foundation, Theophilus Danjuma thanked Amazigo and her team for their dedication to providing quality healthcare services to the poor.
“The GMC envisions a Nigeria where people unite to address the healthcare challenges of poor families in our communities,” he said adding that, “Our objective is to provide quality healthcare for all.”
On his part, Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, assured that his administration will ensure that the facility is protected for sustainability.
