BLAZING THE TRAIL IN MEDICAL CARE SERVICES
G. D. CHANRAI MEMORIAL HOSPITAL is breaking the frontier of medico-humanitarian services in Adamawa State. Recently, it provided free medical care and palliatives to members of the community and its environs. Our Correspondent, EMMANUEL SAMUEL, who attended the event, sent in this report.
Celebration and jubilation took over Ngurore community, a suburb in Yola South Local Government Area of Adamawa State as Govinda D. Chanrai Memorial Hospital provided free medical care and palliatives to members of the community and its environs. Govinda D. Chanrai Memorial Hospital, who is battle set to reduce maternal mortality in Nigeria, is blazing the trail in providing quality health care delivery to reduce maternal mortality rate in Nigeria.
Govinda Chanrai Memorial Hospital was founded by AFCOT Nig. Ltd. producers of the favorite SUNOLAR Vegetable Cotten Oil which was a house hold name in the then Gongola State, and Tulis Chanarai Foundation (TCF) a Kewalran group. It was also gathered that the hospital was established in honor of Govinda D. Chanrai who died along Yola – Gombe road 10 years ago as a result of lack of oxygen. Today the hospital has in the last one year treated over 5,649 children, 1887 infants and 7,424 mothers and 1987 patients recorded 33 deaths as at today. The hospital has 22 bed space with well equip structures and medicament for patients, 3 medical doctors 4 Health care workers 3 drivers on standby, 1 storekeeper and over 40 staff in the hospital.
The services render including free medical service for pregnant women and children under the age of one. According to Dr. Ubong Shammah “we render Health services, maternal and child health, we also take care of children and pregnant women. Our services are all free. We offer free delivery to women who come for labor. We take about 30 successful deliveries every month and when you multiply by twelve months you know how many in a year”.
“Maternal mortality is not common in this area, if we come across such cases; we take them to Federal Medical Center Yola. We have 3 drivers who are always here on standby”.
Available records show that in the last one year, the Hospital recorded only 3 maternal mortality deaths from 7,424 patients attended to during the period. Dr. Ubong Shammah, a medical Resident Doctor in the Hospital said the Hospital has over 40 staff with three medical doctors and an exasperate reaches out to 65 villages and 5084 households in Yola south alone,
Ubong said the hospital also provides free oxygen for patients who are in need for 24 hours as this is the only hospital you get this treatment. “we do not carry out surgical operation here in the hospital but we refer cases to FMC with our ambulance on standby for 24 hours daily, the doctor who explain further that hospital also carries out routine immunization for children 0-5 years old in conjunction with the federal and Adamawa state government at no cost. He added that the hospital records between 50- 100 patients every day, we have HIV counseling unit as well as DOT center for the treatment of TB.
In an interview with the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Tulis Chanrai Foundation (TCF) Mr. Shravan Kumar Kasam said the foundation which is funded by the Kewalran Group and supported by Afcot Limited, is giving back to the society what they have benefitted from the host community, noting that the group has being in Nigeria for over 120 years and the best way to give back is to compliment the efforts of the governments in providing quality and affordable health services to the people. He added that:
“It is worthy of note that because the chairman of the group died here in Nigeria as a result of lack of oxygen when he had a road accident, the family decided to have a 24/7 free oxygen for any patient who have respiratory problem, this we have attained in the last 10 years of the hospital in Yola”.
Commenting on Challenges, he said the major challenge is malnutrition especially among under five children.
“We attribute it to poverty, so we are calling on the government to step into this matter. We have no issue of COVID 19. In fact we have a table outside there where we educate them on the need to sanitize their hands.
We give free NAN to babies from zero to 9 months. The truth is that their parents cannot afford that. When you ask questions you discover that the father is a farmer. Some come all the way from Jimeta and Demsa to access the hospital and to receive treatment”. He said.
Speaking on Security of the staff, he said “One of our staff was kidnapped and later she found her way back home. In fact they came looking for our staff that stays in the quarters, they took her away to the forest and as God would have it, she spent not less than 24 hours and she came back. Also one of our staff was beaten by bandits. So insecurity in Nigeria is everywhere. We have 16 outposts all over Yola south, scattered all over in the bushes. We run the hospital without any assistance from the government or anybody except for vaccines that Yola South gives us. We have water; we have light 24 hours as you can see.
“This hospital is one of the best hospitals I have worked with. I started in Calabar to FMC Yola and now GD memorial hospital” He stated.
Hajiya Sadatu Adamu, 25 years old who gave birth a few hours before this reporter visited the hospital said
“My appreciation goes to Almighty God for safe delivery. I must thank this hospital for the quality service they give us. From my anti natal to the point of delivery, it has been very good experience…. Today, I and my baby are alive. The oxygen they gave my daughter after her delivery is what saved my child, where would I have gotten the money to buy this oxygen? The visibly happy Sadatu asked rhetorically.
Dr. Luke Oghweniale, a staff of the Hospital also spoke his mind. “In thick populated places like Ngurore you can get as much as 15 Patients one at a time. Meanwhile they are so many other facilities that the hospital carries out, such as antenatal care, under pipe care. They also do malnutrition delivery services supervised by us. When they contact us we go there. It just cut across the things that we do here. We have about 16 facilities lay out spread across three wards, in Namtari District.” He said.
Chanrai Memorial Hospital is an NGO that is single handedly championing the fight against maternal mortality, by putting smiles on the faces of the community member in Yola South LGA in Adamawa State by providing palliatives including medicated soap, toiletries, tissues, hand sanitizers, and face mask among others to patients. The hospital has distinguished itself from other major health centers/hospitals that charge exorbitantly for drugs and medical services.
Memories of the good gesture rendered by Govinda D. Chanrai Memorial Hospital will linger in the minds of the Ngurore community forever; even as communities look up to other hospitals in Adamawa State to take a lead from G. D. Chanrai Memorial Hospital.
