By Adesina Aliyat
The Family Counselling Centre and the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) have solicited the support of the Ologuneru community to address major challenges affecting service delivery at the community’s primary healthcare centre.
The call was made during a meeting held at the residence of Baale Sulaimon Ajala, the Baale of Ologuneru, as part of the ongoing Community-Led Monitoring Project, which aims to identify and address challenges affecting primary healthcare centres at the community level.
The meeting began with the NEPWHAN Chairman, Mr Olawale Faith Abiola, explaining the organisation and its activities to the Baale and other community leaders.
The Director of the Family Counselling Centre, Mrs Titilade Ogunkunle, in her speech gave details about the CLM project, and the need for the community to support efforts to improve the health centre.
She highlighted some of the challenges affecting the facility, including a leaking roof, poor toilet facilities, lack of fencing, inadequate seating spaces, chairs, and limited space for the facility.
In response, the Baale said discussions and efforts were already going on to address some of the challenges, particularly the fencing of the health centre, which he identified as a major concern.
He, however, said that a lack of donations had made it difficult to carry out the necessary work.
The community youth leader, Chief Taiwo Mayowa, also stated that the Local Government Chairman was yet to give the community the go-ahead to proceed with the proposed work, adding that the chairman had said the responsibility for the problem lies with them.
The Baale also said there would be a meeting with other Baales from surrounding communities to discuss the challenges facing the health centre, since the facility serves people from those communities as well.
Mrs Ogunkunle encouraged the community to take credit for developments achieved through their own efforts.
The meeting which was attended by the Baale, the community youth leader, NEPWHAN Chairman, Mr Olawale Faith Abiola, the Director of the Family Counselling Centre, Mrs Titilade Ogunkunle, and other community members ended with the Family Counselling Centre and NEPWHAN calling for community participation and cooperation in addressing the challenges affecting the Ologuneru health centre.
