Pilgrim Baptist Hospital Trustees Applaud Anioma Watch for Maternal Care Outreach in Issele-Uku

 Pilgrim Baptist Hospital Trustees Applaud Anioma Watch for Maternal Care Outreach in Issele-Uku

By Peter Oshagwu

The Board of Trustees of Pilgrim Baptist Hospital, Issele-Uku, has commended the Anioma Watch Association for presenting mother-and-child starter packs to expectant women in the community as part of its ongoing antenatal outreach programme.

The initiative, held on Tuesday at the hospital, provided essential new-life care items to expectant mothers and marked the second community to benefit from the organisation’s latest outreach programme.

The Anioma Watch team, led by members of its Board of Trustees, had on Monday visited Ibusa, where expectant women from different ethnic and religious backgrounds also received similar support.

The Issele-Uku event opened with a prayer led by the Moderator of Pilgrim Baptist Hospital, Rev. Gabriel Ojji Okpala. Rev. Samuel Ugbaja, who welcomed the Anioma Watch delegation, provided an overview of the institution and introduced members of the hospital’s Board of Trustees.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the hospital’s Board of Trustees, Mr. Kingsley Azuh, thanked Anioma Watch for selecting the hospital as a beneficiary of its maternal-care initiative.

Azuh traced the history of the hospital to Rev. Martin Nwadei, an indigene of Issele-Uku who, after travelling to the United States, returned with ideas that contributed to the establishment of churches, schools and a hospital in the community.

He also credited Rev. Nwadei with establishing the structure of the technical school in Issele-Uku, which now serves as the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp.

According to Azuh, Pilgrim Baptist Hospital once served as a major healthcare centre in Issele-Uku and neighbouring communities, providing quality medical services before experiencing a period of decline and abandonment. He said the facility was subsequently revived through the goodwill and intervention of concerned individuals.

Azuh expressed appreciation to Anioma Watch for choosing to support the hospital at a time when it needs assistance.

In his opening address, the Chairman of the Anioma Watch Board of Trustees, Dr. Emeka Esogbue, said the choice of Pilgrim Baptist Hospital was deliberate. He recalled that the organisation had previously visited the school arm of the institution, where it delivered a lecture on drug abuse prevention.

Esogbue urged the expectant women to raise their children in the fear of God, while encouraging them to embrace responsible parenting from the earliest stages of their children’s lives.

The President of Anioma Watch Association, Engr. Abela Emuebie, advised the women to maintain healthy diets appropriate for pregnancy and to follow the recommendations of their medical consultants.

Emuebie also assured the beneficiaries that Anioma Watch would continue to explore ways of supporting expectant mothers and families in the community.

The vote of thanks was delivered by the hospital’s Matron, Nurse Peace Michael Nwachukwu, who expressed gratitude to the Anioma Watch delegation for the gesture.

The event ended with a closing prayer led by Rev. Felix Ifeanyi Nwabuokei, Secretary of the Anioma Watch Board of Trustees.

Among those present were Rev. Gabriel Ojji Okpala, Moderator of Pilgrim Baptist Hospital; Mr. Kingsley Azuh, Chairman of the hospital’s Board of Trustees; Rev. Samuel Ugbaja, Secretary of the Board; Deaconess Patricia Chukwudi; Rev. Kingsley Onyekaonwu; and Nurse Peace Michael Nwachukwu, Matron.

Representing Anioma Watch were Miss Ifeyinwa Izegbu, Treasurer of the association, and Miss Joy Ozeh, Social/Welfare Secretary.