The Ogun State Government says it has received a second batch of equipment from the Carter Center for its School of Nursing in Abeokuta, the state capital.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Adesanya Ayinde, who made this known in an interview with newsmen, said the donations were received through the Nigerian Public Health Training Initiative (NPHTI).
He said the School of Nursing, Abeokuta was selected in 2014 as one of the six health training institutions in the six geopolitical zones of the country to benefit from NPHTI’s goal of building the capacity of the school to produce higher quality of middle and lower level health workers to meet the maternal and health demands in the State.
Ayinde disclosed that the items include an 18-seater bus, a 40 KVA Mikano generating set and medical equipment as well as furniture for tutors and students.
The Permanent Secretary listed oxygen concentrator, stretcher, wheel chairs, hospital beds with mattress, white boards, projector with board, computer sets and equipment for the demonstration room, amongst others.
According to him, “our schools of nursing are among the best in the country. We are confident that the Prince Dapo Abiodun led government is committed to giving enough political will to meet the requisite international standards.
“You know there is always little or no progress possible without political will. If we get political will alongside NPHTI support, we will no doubt reduce maternal and child mortality burden,”Dr. Ayinde stated.
The Permanent Secretary added that the present administration’s disposition towards Public Private Partnership would in no small measure impact positively on the health sector.
In a separate interview, the Principal, School of Nursing, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Mrs. Dele Alonge, said the Carter Center, apart from equipping to the School, had put in place training programmes for some of its tutors, adding that a baseline for measuring performances of students had also been instituted.
Alonge disclosed that the State Government was also expected to play its part by erecting the needed structures such as hostels, bigger demonstration room and more classrooms, while the Carter Center had demonstrated willingness to equip them.
She said the School had a current status of provisional accreditation by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), expressing optimism of full accreditation for the School soonest.
