IWC Developmental Committee on Health (IDCH)

Cost.

Logistics of execution.

Completion before the next meeting.

Of benefit to all Ikaleland.

These are all the projects that were suggested by the health care committee:

1) Ambulance Services.

2) Health Fair.

3) Donation of medical supplies/equipments.

4) Mobile clinic.

5) Information gathering about the commonest diseases/ current infrastructure.     

6) Building ultra modern hospital.

After tally of all the suggestions, there are two projects that stood high above the rest; these are 1) Provision of ambulance services and 2) Organization of Ikale regional health fair. We strongly believe without any iota of doubt that these two merit the position given to them by our committee in terms of what the needs of Ikaleland are at present. We are not counting out the other very brilliant suggestions listed above for future consideration.

1) Ambulance

We will suggest that for proper coverage of all Ikaleland we need to donate an ambulance each to Okitipupa and Ode- Irele respectively or one first then later a second one depending on affordability.

Why Ambulance service?

We identified with one of our most pressing need in Ikale which is transporting sick patients to centers where they can get help; this problem has indeed been the root cause of why so many lives have been lost. Some diseases like Diabetic ketoacidosis in coma, hypertensive emergencies and trauma cases that are uniquely rampant in our communities will benefit tremendously from this.  There is also little dispute that this project is arguably the simplest to execute and the one with the most immediate impact.

Cost and Expenses

There are several types of ambulances: From our preliminary research, an average new fully functional ambulance that will serve the basic need enumerated above will cost several thousand of dollars. After the IWC executive accepts these suggestions we can go about working on the details of the cost implications. We cannot bargain for less because of the many risks involved in getting a used vehicle.

The greatest challenge will be the recurrent expenses in terms of repairs, fuel e.t.c.

We will highly recommend that a local member of IWC in Nigeria be involved in carrying out the day to day operation of the vehicles.

2) Health Fair.

The list of what impact a properly organized and funded health fair will have is inexhaustible .As passionate as the support is; we realize that it will need proper planning and execution. It will not only involve screening for several biometric parameters and health education but we have to consider:

a)  How people will get help from whatever information/diagnosis they get from such health fair.

b)  Are we providing medications, referrals?

c)  What diseases are we going to focus our attention on?

These will in no doubt be areas we need to address from next year after the logistics and costs have been properly and carefully worked out.

Tunde Akinbamowo MD