University Don charges Social Workers in Osun to Show more Commitment to Humanitarian services
By Bukola Elufadejin, Osogbo
Social workers in Osun State have been charged to be more engaged and passionate about humanitarian services.
Professor John Emaimo who is also the.Executive Director of the Chartered Institute of Social Work Practitioners of Nigeria stated this while delivering his virtual goodwill message during the annual State Workshop held at the conference room of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs,Osogbo.
According to him,Osun State has been at the forefront of campaign on elimination of Fistula through prevention; and repair,rehabilitation and reintegration of Fistula Clients in Nigeria.
He further added that the Federal Ministry of Health has taken over the responsibility of Social Welfare earlier domiciled in the Ministry of Humanitarian service.
The State Coordinator of the Chattered Institute of Social Work Practitioners of Nigeria who is also the Head of Local Government Administration,Iwo Local Government,Alhaji Yakub Oni highlighted the objectives of the workshop to include building capacity of social Workers who have already been trained on Fistula care since its inception in 2017 and to strenghten existing relationship between the institute and other relevant organisations and stakeholders.
Alhaji Oni, therefore, charged members to rise to the challenges of rehabilitating fistula survivors.
Dr Fehintola Akintunde Olusegun, the lead Fistula surgeon at Dame Olayinka Obaleye Obstetrics Fistula Centre ,Wesley Guild Hospital,Ilesa,Osun State chronicled how the centre received interventions from individuals and foundations to assist victims in the state.
He informed the participants that a foundation, called Kickstart in 2021, donated $200 as support to victims to foot part of the bills of the victims.
According to him, Mrs Dame Yinka Obaleye popularly known as Yinka Oba foam donated and equipped a 24-bedded centre with a space for theatre in 2017 where patients are treated with little financial commitment.
He also added that Fistula Foundation from California,USA commenced intervention in January, 2023 to foot the bills of patients/clients including feeding as well as transportation not only for the clients but the links that facilitate mobilisation.
The repair, according to Dr Fehintola, would have cost a patient over Three Hundred thousand Naira.
Social workers in the state have ,therefore, been charged to develop a service directory to assist in empowering victims of Fistula as part of rehabilitation strategies.
The workshop was attended by social workers across the state.
Obstretic Fistula is an abnormal opening between the vagina, bladder and/ or rectum often caused by prolonged obstructed labour marked by incontinence of urine,faeces or both.
