The Mmaku Professionals forum alongside other indigenes of Mmaku town in Awgu local government area of Enugu state, have expressed their gratification and delight towards the Executive Governor of Enugu state, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, for the renovation and equipment of the Mmaku Cottage hospital.

They had expressed their gratitude as well as expectations amid an inspectional tour, on Saturday, the 6th of February 2020, to the afore-mentioned medical center, in a bid to get it running and functional.

Recall that, on the 13th of December 2020, the indigenes of Mmaku, professionals alike, as well their traditional ruler,  HRH Igwe CM Nevobasi ,the Ezeani 111 of Mmaku ancient Kingdom, paid a courtesy visit to the  Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. They were led by the member representing Awgu south constituency in Enugu State house of assembly, Honorable Johnson Okwudili Chukwuobasi.

During the visit, Hon. Johnson Chukwuobasi discussed several pressing needs of the good people of Mmaku with the Governor.

Foremost, was the utterly dilapidated state of the Mmaku Cottage hospital, as well as, lack of water within the hemisphere.

Ugwuanyi, therefore approved funds for the renovation of the hospital inaugurating a 21-man committee, who is to ensure,  success and efficiency in the execution of the project .

The committee includes professionals in different fields such as Professor of surgery, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Titus Chukwuanugo, Former commissioner for information, Udeuhele Godwin Ikechukwu, Deputy Chairman Awgu local government, Benedict Orji Udeh,
SSA to the Enugu state governor on security, Tochukwu Okeke, ,  amongst others.

UGAMATV spoke to some of the members of the committee.

Hon. Chukwuobasi in his interview said,  “The Mmaku proffessional are all here on a fact finding in line with the agreement with the governor who promised to revitalize the age long hospital in Mmaku and he has lived up to his word.

“The great people of mmaku such as proffessors, doctors, Architechs have gone round and seen the enormous decay that has taken place in this hospital.”

“Thank God the person of the governor has come to fulfill his promises and we are greatful, in no distant time, work will begin here.”

“I represent my people and on the 13th of December 2020, i led my people of Mmaku on a solidarity and courtesy visit to the governor at the government house, we enumarated some of our challenges including the lack of functional hospital, this hospital was formally Mmaku health center, it was upgraded to a cottage hospital in 2000 by former governor Chimaroke Nnamani but since then nothing has been done.”

“This hospital has been deserted for a long time, no doctors, no nurses, even the patients were no longer coming and no medical equipments.”

“This hospital used to be the symbol of Mmaku, since 60s people have been giving birth here, most of us were born here and i was immunized here as a child, so that is the passion and thankfully Governor Ugwuanyi has come to our rescue and we are all happy including the youths.”

“When the renovations are done,  more man power will be posted here, more health worker  will be posted here. i want to urge my people to be patient with the governor and show solidarity. in due time, all their dreams will come true. The governor Loves Mmaku people.”

“I want to sincerely appreciate the governor, each time i approach him about an issues, he always responds, when i told him about the general hospital in Awgu he responded and work is going on there and now he is renovating the Mmaku cottage hospital, Mmaku people have been remembered.’

“As soon as we are done renovating this hospital which is the neighbourhood hospital, other hospitals such as health centers at Obeagu, Mkpe, MCH Agwu among others will be renovated.”

“The governor has up to two years before his tenure will be over and i am sure that before he leaves office, other health centers will be visited and renovated.”

“When the renovation is over, i will laise with local government to post security guards here to safeguard the pace to prevent vandalization of any kind.”

“Speaking on the possible solutions towards ameliorating their scarcity of water, Chukwuobasi disclosed that water levels will be determined by experts and then presented to the governor, so water can be provided.”

He also noted that the Governor has promised to intervene in secondary schools in Mmaku.

“All the secondary schools in Mmaku were built by the people  of Mmaku and handed over to the government, the former governor Jim Nwobodo and sullivan Chime only provided buses to the schools, nothing has been done to improve the school.”

“The governor has promised to bring one of the schools to standard and then improve the other ones. The pilot project is the Mmaku cottage hospital and projects in other communities will be attended to as soon as possible in order to balance the dividends of democracy. “

“The topography of the Awgu general hospital was so bad, it lacks access road,  the school of midwifery that was there has been abandoned for over 30 years.”

“I spoke to the Governor and he has come to understand that the hospital needs improvement after a fact-finding visit, so now, he has provided water, renovated the school of midwifery, the road has been tarred and litted up. Massive renovation is going on there now.”

The Counsellor representing the Mbidi and Mmaku, Okeke Efi Mkpume Iloham noted that the purpose of the visit to the Mmaku cottage hospital is to see what is on ground in order to decide what comes first. He also commended the kind gesture of the governor who has proven beyond doubt that he has the people of Mmaku in mind.

Also speaking during the visitation, Enugu State Financial Secretary of the PDP, Alphonsus Orji, emphasized the need to keep supporting political office holders under the umbrella of the PDP as well as the administration of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, adding that,  they will do all they can to ensure that the people’s need are met.

Former commissioner for information, Udeuhele Godwin Ikechukwu commended the giant strides of the governor and his kind gestures towards the people of Mmaku, adding that the renovations will commence as soon as possible.

Professor of surgery, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof. Titus Chukwanukwu, while speaking outlined the severity of the hospital’s state. It was in complete ruins.

He adviced, that the Emergency ward needs urgent attention, it needs to be appropriately and optimally, renovated, equipped and staffed, since the emergency ward was the heart of any medical facility.

The hospital, he said, was overly understaffed, as they lacked Nurses, Doctors and other facility staff.  The maternity ward was non-functional due to the lack of modern toilets and functional generators.

The Deputy Director of Nursing, Mmaku Cottage Hospital, Chukwu Catherine Chinedu, affirmed to our correspondents, that she has worked in the center for eight consecutive years, with nothing working.

The roofs are leaking, the doors are old, the maternity ward has not received any patients for years, due to lack of necessary medical equipments, unavailability of medical personnels and other hospital staff.

An indegenious son of Mmaku, Obiora Chukwu, had visited her, in a bid to confirm the legendary tales of her undying dedication to the service of patients in the facility.

Satisfied with her good works, he endeavored to provided some eguipments, fixed a leak roof of her make-shift office. A gesture that has served as encouragement  to keep up her unwavering services.

“What happened here today is an answered prayer, government officials are here for fact findings. I give God all the glory that the governor and the people of Mmaku remembered this hospital, i am so happy.”

“We need more workers here to assist me, now that the Doctor’s quaters will be fixed, they will be able to stay. For now i am the only nurse here so we need more nurses, Pharmacists, Laboratory scientists. I will be very happy if more workers get posted here”

As at the time of visitation, there were no patients, hospital machines and instruments such as the Microscopes were dysfunct and not in use, since most of them had exceeded their date of expiration.

A haphazardly secured, outdated placenta pit was in view, they lacked water as their only source of water, the well, had dried up due to the dry season.

The doctor’s quarters, a two-bedroom flat, was seen as dilapidated, having no toilet and adequate drainage facilities.

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