23rd January, 2018
Prof. Temitope Alonge, Chief Medical Director (CMD), University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, on Monday inaugurated two new wheel-chair ambulances for use at the Tony Anenih Geriatric Centre, in the hospital.
Inaugurating the ambulances, Alonge said that they would go a long way in complementing care of the aged at the geriatric centre.
“These two ambulances would complement the two tricycles which had been in used in commuting patients from the centre to and from the main gate to ease their transportation.
“They would also be used to pick up patients whose wards could not afford to bring their parents to the clinic at UCH at designated pick-up points in Ibadan,” he said.
The CMD further said that each ambulance, which costs N10 million, has capacity to seat 16 and 10 patients, respectively.
He said both ambulances have hydrolic facilities to lift patients in wheel chairs from the ground into the vehicle.
Alonge was full of appreciation to the donor, Chief Tony Anenih, whom he described as an ‘addicted giver’.
“One thing stands out, Chief Anenih’s name will remain in the annals of history in Nigeria. Nobody can be as compassionate as Chief Tony Anenih.
“He single-handedly built, equipped and donated the geriatric centre to the UCH in 2012 to complement federal government provision of health care services in Nigeria.
“In Nigeria, if health care is improved, the aged will be cared for,” he said.
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According to Alonge, the ambulances will also attend to patients from their homes in cases where patients could not access care from the centre.
He said that a recent survey in Ibadan, reveals that between 30 and 35 per cent of people in Ibadan are hypertensive.
He said the ambulances would also be used to give health care services to patients who require at their domain through a project tagged ‘community geriatric project’ under the centre.
Dr Victor Akinmoladun, the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, UCH, had earlier said the geriatric centre has yielded another dividend for the care of the aged in our society.
He described the centre as the first in Africa to have ambulances to convey patients from home and back.
He appreciated the benevolence of the donor for the provision of the ambulances to boost services rendered to the teaming elderly groups in the community.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the centre was established in 2012, to primarily provide health care services to the aged from age 60 and above.
The centre also has a National Health Insurance Scheme where patients pay N18,000 annually to access a holistic health care service.
Besides, all the drugs, tests and consultation at the centre are subsidised at a rate of 50 per cent of cost price.
While receiving the vehicles, Dr Lawrence Adebusoye, Director of the centre, thanked the donor and the CMD for the lofty project which has now spread to West Africa and Africa Sub-region.
He said that the ambulances would be put into judicious use for the benefit of patients.