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Lions Club International recently commissioned an ultra-modern diabetes screening and treatment centre inside the General Hospital at Igoli, in Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The medical facility had its foundation laid on September 16, 2021 by the former Cross River State Commissioner for Health and current National Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC)), Dr Betta Edu.
The Lions Club said the importance of the new medical facility cannot be overemphasized given the devastation caused by diabetes around the world, especially in Third World countries.
She noted that diabetes, over the years, has become a silent killer, which, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), has caused no fewer than 1.5 million deaths globally.
Among the goals of the club is the eradication of hunger, blindness, paediatric cancer and diabetes. In pursuit of the mandate, Lions Club District 404A2 embarked on the mission to provide a fully furnished building for the sole purpose of addressing issues relating to screening and treatment of citizens faced with diabetes, which in the past decades has become one of the killer diseases taking a toll on human lives.
Built on 885 square metres of land, the ultra-modern Diabetes Screening and Treatment Centre, the club said, will provide affordable healthcare not only to indigenes of Cross River State, but will also cater and benefit nearby states like Enugu, Ebonyi, Benue, and Akwa Ibom, as well as parts of the neighbouring Central African country of Cameroon.
District Governor, Lions District 404A2 for the 2021-2022 Lion Year, Obonganwan Lynda Odu-Okpeseyi, said the project, a partnership between Lions Club 404A2 and the Ogoja General Hospital, is aligned with the organisation’s mandate of excellence through Service, according to Lion.
Odu-Okpeseyi noted: “For over a century of our service to humanity and mankind, the Lions Club has taken a pride of place as the world’s largest service organisation with over 46,000 clubs and more than 1.4million members in more than 200 countries and geographical regions across the world. The Lions Club International in Nigeria has been at the forefront of impactful community service.”
Aside from the newly donated facility, Lions Club International in Nigeria had built and donated other medical facilities such as the Diabetes Screening Centre and a functional eye theatre, both at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar; Cancer Treatment Centre at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Primary Health Centre; Atu Street, Calabar and the renovation of the Primary Health Center in Nsa Ewa, Calabar. Presently, the club is building a Primary Health Center in Edim Otop.
Odu-Okpeseyi said the project is a milestone for Lions Club in Nigeria, as it further reinforced its image as an organisation committed to its responsibility to provide succour to the downtrodden.
“It also underscored the salient fact of Lions Club tradition of working with local stakeholders and international facilitators to bring about life-impacting projects,” she said.
Among those stakeholders commended for complementing the effort of Lions Club District 404A2 to make the project a reality were the Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF), members of Lions District 404A2 – Nigeria, the Cross River State Ministry of Health, Management and staff of the General Hospital, Ogoja, Ogoja. Other stakeholders, including traditional rulers council, parliamentarians, corporate organisations and donor agencies were also commended.
The ceremony was well attended by several dignitaries and government functionaries. Some of them are Buturu Peter Ejue, monarch of Idum Mbube; Senator Representing Cross River North Senatorial District, Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe; Member Representing Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency, Hon. Jude Ngaji; Member Representing Bekwarra/Obudu/Obanliku Federal Constituency, Hon. Legor Idagbo; Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Eteng Jonah Williams; Leader of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Hon. Chief Peter Odey; Dr David Ushie, Special Assistant to the Governor on Health, and many others.
