By Adamu Muhammad Dodo
Represented by a team from the Future Assured and Aisha Muhammadu Buhari Foundation, led by Dr. Kamal Muhammad her chief physician who is at the same time the coordinator of the Future Assured, Hajiya Aisha the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, visited the Federal Medical Centre, Yola, Adamawa state Nigeria to assess the progress of the expansion of maternity complex she was funding through Future Assured, the NGO she has founded for multifaceted humanitarian interventions.
In his welcome address, Prof. Auwal Muhammad Abubakar the Medical Director FMC Yola explained that the health facility was relocated to its present cite from Specialist Hospital Yola in 2006 Then it had just about 115 beds capacity as a referral centre to other hospitals.
The centre kept expanding to be able to meet the serviceable needs of the environment and beyond.
Currently, FMC Yola has about 330 beds capacity. However, the ever increasing influx of patients added up to the challenges associated with the upgrading of the hospital to teaching hospital saw the commensurable needs of the facility upgrade. This brought the idea of casting for outside rather individual, group or community intervention, with a view to complementing the efforts of the government.
the responses were positive. The support of the Future Assured was however impressive.
Obstetrics and Gynecology department of FMC Yola was one of the three departments being accredited by the West African College of Surgeons to run postgraduate called residency training.
The fourth was the department of general medicine, which was accredited by the West African College of Physicians.
presently, the hospital was keenly waiting in anticipation of the approval of request for upgrading to a teaching hospital by the president, having fulfilled the requirements.
The intervention of the Future Assured Foundation floated by Her Excellency Aisha Muhammadu Buhari in supporting the expansion of the Maternity complex was, to say the least, timely.
When it was completed, the present family unit, the gynae ward, having have to be accommodated in the maternity complex, would then be used to solve clinical space constraints.
The future Assured support on healthcare in C Yola was the second of its kind in the federation.
“The first that was completed and commissioned was in Daura, Katina state,” Kamal explained.
“The intention of the Future Assured foundation for such intervention, is to cover the six geo-political zones of the country,” Kamal assured.
Kamal explained that the expanded maternity complex in FMC Yola would cater for 200 patients.
The complex would have gynae, antenatal and postnatal wards, consulting clinics, consultant offices, family planning unit, diagnostic and pharmacy points.
Aisha Muhammadu Buhari was so concerned about the healthcare of the citizenry. She believed that this intervention among others to come, would go a long way in serving not only Nigerians but also people from the neighbouring counties of Cameroon and Chad.
Kamal said that the project was started about five months ago. It was projected to be completed within to months time.
The Future Assured and Aisha Muhammadu Buhari Foundation projects assessment team were impressed with the quality of the project and the level of the progress. It was estimated to be more than 60% completed.
“This is the time the management of FMC Yola should begin the process of needs assessment for the required equipments and facilities to be made available at the maternity complex, Kamal advised.
Other members with Dr. Kamal Muhammad, representing Aisha Muhammadu Buhari in the progress assessment of the Future Assured supported project, were Dr. Saidu Suleiman the executive secretary of the Aisha Muhammadu Buhari Foundation, Mr. Haruna Suleiman the director media office of the wife of the president and media team.
The team commended FMC Yola for its general tidiness and healthcare services delivery.
it could be recalled that Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewale the Honourable Minister of Health was impressed with the support of the Future Assured on healthcare with such a commendable project, when he visited FMC Yola on August 10, 2018