A world class hospital has been commissioned in Ogbunka community in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The facility, built by Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Program Phase One (ATASP-1) was commissioned by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
Speaking during the commissioning, Soludo represented by Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Forster Ihejiofor described ATASP-1, a federal government agricultural sector development intervention program, with funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB) as a critical partner in government’s efforts to tackle hunger, unemployment and insecurity.
He commended the ATASP-1 for making great impacts in rural communities, just as he hailed the management for investing billions of naira into infrastructures that supports large scale modern farming, agro-processing and improved standard of livings for rural farmers.
He said: “When they brought the hospital equipment, I sent an engineer who is knowledgeable in hospital equipment to examine what was supplied to ensure it matched the specifications listed in the bid.
“I’m here attesting to the fact that this clinic is equipped to the global standard of a cottage hospital. A lot of things can be done here”.
Soludo further disclosed that health care workers, especially nurses would be posted to the hospital to provide services to people from the community and other neighbouring communities.
“We will liase with the Ministry of Health to upgrade the staffing of the health center to ensure that people from the neighbouring towns like Ufuma, Nawfija, Inyi, Owerri-Ezukalla and so on, also take advantage of the facilities here for their medical treatments”, he stressed.
Chairman of Orumba South Transition Committee, Prince Neville Uchendu praised ATASP-1 for providing such world class hospital for rural farmers in Ogbunka and environ.
“I want to thank ATASP-1 team in a special way. You are doing wonderfully well because they don’t say what they did not do. When the equipment for this hospital was offloaded, those that I sent to inspect it said that most general hospitals did not have the kind of equipment supplied at this clinic.
“The kind of equipment brought to this hospital is what Governor Chukwuma Soludo is preaching about because he does not joke with anything that concerns health and wellbeing of Ndi-Anambra”, he said.
Uchendu assured that the council would also liase with the ministry of health and other stakeholders to ensure that qualified health workers were posted to the hospital as well as security of the facility.
Earlier, Zonal Program Coordinator of ATASP-1 Adani-Omor Zone, Dr. Romanus Egba expressed joy that the hospital was finally commissioned to provide healthcare services to farmers in the area.
He disclosed that the program had supported farmers in select communities such as Ogbunka with supply of improved variety of cassava cuttings (seeds), trainings on Good Agronomics Practices (GAPs) but felt the need to provide social/ancillary infrastructure facilities like hospital, water, schools, markets that enhances their wellbeing and income generation.
“ATASP-1 discovered that farmers need certain social and economic infrastructure to improve on their productivity. And that access to quality healthcare enhances productivity. That is why we decided to build hospitals in communities that lack them so that farmers can easily be taken care of when sick. It’s only when their condition requires specialist treatment that they can be referred to a general or specialist hospital.
“Ogbunka is the only community under ATASP-1 where we built Water borehole and hospital at the same place and so urged stakeholders in the community to make good use of the facilities.
“This hospital and water borehole built here present an opportunity for farmers in Ogbunka and neighbouring communities to enjoy good health and improved productivity. So, we expect that the facilities be maintained and utilized”, he stressed.
Egba added that the program was ready to train and support more farmers, especially youths on cassava and sorghum production.
Chairman of Ogbunka Farmers cooperative under ATASP-1, Gabriel Orie, thanked ATASP-1 for transforming lives of cassava farmers in Ogbunka through input supports and trainings on modern farming techniques and food processing, especially how to use cassava flour to produce confectionaries.
Describing the hospital as turning point in the lives of farmers in the area as they would no longer travel long distance to seek medical attention, Orie pledged the community’s leaders readiness to make good use of the facility.Other community leaders who spoke at the occasion took turns to praise ATASP-1 for providing such a standard cottage hospital at Ogbunka.
