The Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN) is perfecting plans to provide adequate healthcare services to vulnerable members of the society and the general public in the heart of Lagos, at Elesan Village, Eti-Osa LGA.
According to the group who noted that construction works started in September 2023 during the fundraising ceremony for the building of the facility recently, the healthcare centre will provide medical service to everyone, Muslim and non-Muslims, male and female.
Project Committee, FOMWAN Clinic, Dr. Halimah Egberongbe said the proposed FOMWAN Primary Health Care Centre aims to assist the state government in its bid to provide primary health care for Lagosians, especially the vulnerable, with a focus on Elesan village and its environs.
“A study of the population in the settlement indicated that a sizable number of residents in the Eti-Osa LGA are low-income earners who require medical assistance. There is a rapid development of settlements around the location of the proposed health facility at Elesan Village, which includes Ikota, Igbokusho, Jakande Estate, Olugborangun, Agungi, Osapa, Ajiran and others.”
She noted that the centre will provide basic health care services with priority given to women and children and also offer preventive and health promotional services to people irrespective of religious background.
Egberongbe said the Association has been operating on several thematic areas including Health, in line with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) mandate of universal health coverage. “FOMWAN constitution thus directs all state branches to endeavour to establish health facilities which will serve their respective communities. So far, three state branches – Kaduna, Plateau and Bauchi – have either established a hospital or medical centre to address the health needs of their people. The organisation, through state branches has also provided medical outreach services and hospital equipment to different communities across the country.
According to WHO Statistics on monitoring health for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2021, the majorities of countries across the globe are still at a disadvantage with incredibly suboptimal access to healthcare despite the overall improvement in healthcare services thus posing an imminent health care risk and associated catastrophic costs. Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents that are affected and is currently witnessing an exponential rise in cholera outbreak amid a global surge.
As of January 2023, there has been a 30 percent increase in the total caseload reported for the whole of 2022. This indicates the state of the continent as far as hygiene, environmental sanitation and access to health care services are concerned. This is just one out of the many preventable disease outbreaks in which Nigeria is also affected.
The most vulnerable set of people whom healthcare services are not reaching, such as marginalised, stigmatised, and isolated are majorly women and their children. Women are usually at the receiving end of most health and economic crises in any given society.”
Soliciting support from Nigerians to bring the project to fruition, Egberongbe who, stating that the estimated cost for the building, fixtures and equipment is N250 million said, “being a non-governmental organisation, we therefore seek financial assistance to actualise this very important project.
Moreover, this project is in line with the aim and objectives of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 1-5, No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-Being, Quality Education, and Gender Equality. The project also aligns with the ideals of the current Lagos State administration (The THEMES Agenda).
Also speaking, Chairman on the occasion, Chief Executive Officer, Maritol Medical Centre, Lagos, Dr Ganiyu Labinjo said, “we seek Allah’s help on all the contributors of the project, this is a very important project for the Muslim ummah.”
