Secretary of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund Ministerial Oversight Committee (BHCPF MOC), Dr. Oritseweyimi Ogbe has called on well meaning Nigerians to put healthcare on the front burner when giving back to the society.
Dr. Ogbe made the call at the investiture of the 27th President, Rotary Club of Wuse Central, held in Abuja on Friday.
“In all the other organizations do, particularly the social organizations and philanthropic organizations, make sure health is on your agenda, make sure immunization is on your agenda, make sure that children getting vaccinated is on your agenda and with that we can all join hands and make the world a better place”, he said.
He urged the new president to continue with the passion Rotary had built over the decades to fight polio.
“Rotary was one of the international organizations that initiated the war against polio and partnering with other health and international organizations to battle it to this point. So the first thing is to reach out to our communities in the way we normally do.
“Luckily across Abuja, the Rotary clubs and out of Abuja Central have adopted communities that focus on. So continue to reach out, continue to create awareness, continue to give people hope by not just going after polio but going in an integrated manner, provide health care and also meet them at their point of needs as an introduction point to let them bring out their children to accept the vaccine, educate them that it’s safe”, he said.
Speaking further, he urged those who intend to give back to the society to emulate the Rotary Club:
“I think the main thing that they all have to do is just continue to look at the Rotary example, particularly the four-way test that tells what you’re doing, is it the truth, is it fair, is it beneficial. And one of the things you can do to people particularly under privilege is to give them better health because when they have better health a lot of things can improve for them”, he said.
On his part, the Managing Director/Chief Operating Officer (MD/COO), Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria (IHVN), Charles Mensah explained, “we are at a very challenging time, in terms of healthcare interventions particularly in Nigeria because of our short fall in funding”.
Mensah applauded the Rotary Club for stepping in but counselled them to deepen their involvement at the community level to see what they can do to expand access to healthcare.
“It’s not just about polio but other preventable disease, work in collaboration with the Community Based Organisations (CBOs) who know the community. Beyond that, every Nigerian should be involved. You don’t have to be a member of rotary to be part of what they are doing. You can contribute, nothing is small”, he said.
In her acceptance speech, the newly elected President, Rotary Club of Wuse Central, Rtn. Dr. Folashade Samuels
said Rotarians all over the world were dedicated to solving some of the world’s most persistent humanitarian challenges.
“We are architects of peace, the healers of the sick, the educators of the young, and the champions of sustainable communities.
“We eradicate diseases, provide clean water, promote literacy, and so much more. All do we bring by the motto, service above self.
This year, our international theme, Unite for Good, resonates deeply within me. It’s a powerful call to action, reminding us that our collective strength is far greater than the sum of our individual efforts. Unite for Good emphasizes collaboration, partnership, immense power of coming together to create lasting change.
“It signifies that the aligning of our hearts, our hands, minds, we are magnifying our impact, break down barriers, achieve remarkable transformations in our communities and beyond. This theme will be the guiding star of our club’s endeavor in the coming year.
“As your president, my plan is to only stand on the excellent shoulders of those, my past presidents, who have led before me. We will build upon this remarkable achievement of our past leaders, increasing our reach of transformation, positive impact in our community projects. We will continue to champion initiatives that uplift empires and bring hope, always seeking new ways to serve with innovation and compassion”, she said.
