* As Club urges FG, State Govts to prioritize maternal, child health
The Rotary Club of Rock City on Thursday, donated gift items to the first baby born on July 25th in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital as part of activities marking the club’s 2nd Charter Day celebrations. The new born baby after several search was found at the Oba Ademola ll Maternity Hospital, Ijemo area of Abeokuta. The items donated to the baby are wardrobe, Bath Set, Baby Bed, Flannels, Shaws, Sleeping Suits, Whips, Clips, Towels, Cusson Sets, Diapers, Pads, Detergents, Mackintosh, Feeding Bottles, Caps, Socks, Baby Soap, Formula Bottle separator and cotton swabs among other things.
Speaking shortly after the donation, the President of Rotary Club of Rock City, Rtn. Henry Olasupo Adedokun, urged government at various levels to prioritize Maternal and Child Health. Adedokun also appealed to them to continue to give primary health care system, the needed attention. He said the project was mapped out to help needy mothers as well as support the family in nurturing the new born with the items. Adedokun said, “We were chartered two years ago, precisely on 25th July, 2022. The month of July is also dedicated to Maternal and Child Health by Rotary International. Since our Charter as a Club is 25th July, we decided to donate gift items to a baby born in Abeokuta on this day”.
According to him, “Interestingly, while planning we mapped out; Oke- llewo PHC, Adigbe PHC, Obada PHC and Kugba PHC for the project and have been in contact with the mapped Primary Health Care (PHC) since early hours of the morning. Oba Ademola ll Maternity Hospital was not even on our list because our aim is to make the gift items to a needy mother”. He added “Our today’s experience reinstates the important of prioritising Maternal and Child Health because we earlier got news of a baby delivered in Oba Oko and before we could locate the baby, the baby had died. We later got another at Osiele PHC, we moved there immediately and while offloading our gifts we were told the mother had delivery complications and have been rushed to a higher facility which prevented us access to donate to the baby”.
“Then, we resumed our search and finally got a baby here and happy our all day search was successful and the gift items were presented to the right family in true need”, he stated. The project Chairperson, Rtn. Oke Ibukunoluwa Enitan, described the new baby as a lucky one, saying the event that preceded the donation showed that the baby is special. She said “This baby here is lucky, because we have gone as far as the outskirts of Abeokuta in search for a July 25th baby. God knows about this baby to be the beneficiary and be recognised as our Irresistible Charter Baby”. While expressing gratitude to the Club, the latest mother, Mrs Bisi Lawal, thanked the Club for the hand of support given to her and her new baby boy.
The Father of the baby, Gbenga Lawal, while thanking the club, revealed that her wife had delay after she has passed her due date, saying the baby is their first. He disclosed that the fear of unknown made the family to relocate to Prayer Mountain, over a month ago, a situation which prevented them from getting baby items ahead of her delivery. In their remarks, the Director of Nursing services, DNS A. Adeyemi and Apex Nurse, DNS, Mrs Taiwo Olufunmilola commended the Rotary Club of Rock City for coming to the maternity to present the items. They added that the facility would further appreciate the club coming often to give succour to nursing mothers who are less privileged.
Joining Rtn. Henry Olasupo Adedokun (Irresistible President RC Rock City) for the presentation are; Past President Aremu Monday Babatunde (RC Abeokuta Metro), Rtn. Abiodun Ogundaini (Irresistible President RC Abeokuta Metro), Rtn. Olayemi Ajayi (Irresistible President RC Oke-Mosan Golden), Rtn. Williams Fakiyesi (Irresistible President RC Obantoko) and members of RC Rock City.
