Edo State Government through its Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development is set to partner with the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) to tackle critical healthcare and social welfare issues particularly those affecting women, children and other vulnerable groups across the State.
The development was made known when the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Chief Bisi Idaomi Esq., played host to the newly appointed Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the UBTH, Prof. Idia Ize-Iyamu at the Ministry’s premises in Benin City.
Chief Idaomi while congratulating Prof. Idia Ize-Iyamu for her historic appointment as the first female CMD of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital in fifty two years of its existence, described the appointment as a testament to her expertise and capabilities as well as what women can achieve in leadership.
She pledged the Ministry’s readiness to collaborate in several priority areas, including cancer treatment and screening, maternal and child health support, response to Gender-Based Violence (GBV), mental health and psychosocial support, vaccination and immunization campaigns targeting women and children in the State.
The Commissioner emphasized the need to strengthen referral pathways for survivors of GBV to ensure seamless access to medical care and psychological support, advocating for the prioritization of joint intervention strategies for women living with HIV/AIDS and women with disabilities as they often face marginalization.
She further called for adequate funding to drive social development initiatives and also emphasized the need for a joint committee comprising the Edo State Office of the First Lady, the Ministry of Women Affairs, the Ministry of Health and the UBTH, to oversee the collaboration and ensure effective implementation, acknowledging the unwavering commitment of the Sen. Monday Okpebholo’s administration in improving the health and overall wellbeing of the most vulnerable in the State.
The Commissioner revealed plans for a Joint Medical Outreach which would include health screenings, counselling, and referrals, targeting 1,000 women in the State.
Earlier, Prof. Idia Ize-Iyamu, who commended the Ministry’s proactive approach to social welfare issues, highlighted the Hospital’s commitment to providing tertiary and specialist services, while disclosing that UBTH is increasingly confronted with complex social issues, including caring for indigent patients, mentally ill individuals and homeless pregnant women, who often seek temporary shelter at the Facility. She stated that while the Hospital’s social services offer short-term assistance, there was a need for collaborations among institutions equipped to provide long-term care and support in addressing the challenges effectively.
Prof. Ize-Iyamu outlined the Hospital’s several ongoing initiatives including maternal and child health programmes under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and stressed the need for grassroots mobilization and public enlightenment to ensure the programmes reach those who need them most. She stated that healthcare should not exist in a vacuum and expressed optimism that collaborating with the Ministry would help improve the health and social welfare outcomes of the vulnerable in the State.
Wisdom Agbonta
Public Relations Officer
Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development
PHOTO CAPTION
7th Right: The Commissioner For Women Affairs and Social Development, Chief Bisi Idaomi Esq.; 7th Left: the Chief Medical Director of UBTH, Prof. Idia Ize-Iyamu; 6th Left: the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Joy Ihensekhien; with members of staff of the Ministry and the UBTH, during the engagement at the Ministry’s premises in Benin City.
