Nigeria: Methodist Church Seeks Affordable Healthcare in the Communities

Chioma Obinna

For long, stakeholders have been drumming the need to bring healthcare services closer to the door steps of the rural poor as key strategy to check the rising number of preventable deaths in communities across the country.
According to them, lack of access to a functional healthcare facility has remained a problem in curbing the high rates of maternal and child mortality in rural areas.
In recognition of these and more, the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Lagos Diocese 1, last week held a week long health activities in Ado-odo community in Ogun State.
The Health Week which featured a free health checks, treatment and rally around the villages in the area was also used to create awareness on the existence of its hospital established six years ago to carter for the health needs of the people on a subsidised cost.
No fewer than 300,000 residents of Ado-odo community were screened and treated free of charge for some illnesses which includes diabetes, hypertension and malaria.
In a chat with Good Health Weekly, the Lay President of Badagry Diocese, Mr. Sewanu Togonu-Bickersyeth decried that many of the residents still patronise traditional healers and it has resulted to so many complications even death.
Togonu-Bickersyeth who explained that the Methodist church hospital was specially set up in the community to improve healthcare delivery in the community without any monetary benefits.
Stating that the Health Week was part of the ministry of the Methodist Church supported by Wesley Guild, United Kingdom, he blamed the most challenge facing their efforts to improve healthcare in the area on inability of the people to accept orthodox medicine.
"The people believe that traditional medicine is cheaper than orthodox medicine. Another challenge is that people are not enlightened about having hospital in their midst. The cost is no problem because we subsidise our treatment".
He said the 2011 Health Week focused on hypertension, diabetes and malaria" to bring to the fore the dangers of such ailments to man, particularly in the rural areas like Ado-odo. ria parasite is also here with us.
We are going to distribute mosquito nets free to ensure that people are free from malaria particularly, children and pregnant woman"
Speaking, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Ahisu, the Bishop of Badagry Diocese, Methodist Church, Nigeria explained that the annual programme was to impact on the lives of the poor according to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
He counselled Christian to take proper care of their health stating that the Bible never objected to medical care but in line with St. Pauls teaching.


http://allafrica.com/stories/201107050903.html