Rotary donates to health centre

By Sunday Ani

As part of its efforts to serve humanity, the Rotary Club of Greenfield, Okota, Isolo area of Lagos State, yesterday, donated mosquito nets, baby diapers and sets of chairs to Apena Health Centre, Ago-Palace Way, Lagos, for onward distribution to nursing mothers.

Presenting the gift items, the Club’s President, Nnanna Nwakamma Chiugo, said the gesture was in commemoration of the month of July, which in Rotary calendar, is child and maternal month. “So, we visit health centres and hospitals, especially the public ones, to see how the mother and child are faring, beginning from the antenatal to postnatal.

“Today, we have seen the postnatal proceedings, and we are donating 50 treated mosquito nets, 50 packs of diapers for babies from one to six months, and sets of chairs for the mothers. This is based on what the head of the Centre requested from us,” he said.

He promised the Centre that the Club would always visit and assist in whatever way it could. He also advised the mothers to ensure that their babies were well vaccinated to avoid deformities that could arise from polio or other ailments.

“Don’t miss any of your vaccinations; ensure you complete your vaccination because we don’t want to have any child deformed from polio or any other disease. Rotary will always be there to know how you are faring with your babies. From time to time, we will be visiting here to perform other projects,” he assured.

He said the Club decided to tag this year a magic year “because we are performing magic by touching lives, and that is why we are here.”

He also noted that Apena Health Centre was chosen among other health centres because members reasoned that charity should start from home. “Rotary is all about influencing the life of people in the community. Charity, they say, begins at home, and this is our community, so we felt it is proper to start from home before going outside,” he added. 

Receiving the items, the nursing staff in charge of the Centre, Ashon Olusola, thanked the Club for the gesture. She said: “I appreciate you all because it is not easy to feel for nursing mothers. Many organisations have been here in the past to make promises, but we never saw them again. But, here you are fulfilling your promise, may God continue to bless you.”

She noted that lack of chairs has been a major challenge in the Centre and thanked the Club for addressing that singular challenge. “The mosquito nets and diapers are important, but the most important is the chairs that you gave to us. This is because most times when mothers come, they won’t see chairs to sit on, and this is capable of discouraging a lot of them from coming here, but what you have done here today will go a long way to solving that challenge. So, I thank you so much,” she said.