By Emma Amaize

EKU—THE horrible condition of the signboard of Hospitals Management Board, Tuberculosis and Leprosy Referral Centre, Eku, Delta State, is the first indication that all is not well with the health institution. Turning to what looks like a farm path, which is actually the road to the clinic at Sanubi-Eku, one wonders whether government still remembers that there is such a facility anywhere in the map of the state.

The story of the Tuberculosis and Leprosy Referral Centre, Eku, Delta State, is that of crass neglect of both facility and staff. The situation was so terrible at a time that health workers could be infected at the centre because of lack of control measure. Till date, workers posted to the centre refuse report for duty. Only few devoted ones work there.

Agbami partners’ intervention

An anonymous staff told this reporter: “It was easy for visitors and patients to be infected with tuberculosis at the centre because we do not have space and equipment here. “This was the situation until the parties to the Agbami unit operations decided to intervene. “They are Star Deep Water Petroleum (a Chevron company), Famfa Oil Limited, Statoil Nigeria Limited, Petroleo Brasileiro Nigeria Limited and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.”

The Agbami Field is located approximately 70 miles (113 kilometres) offshore Nigeria, and in line with the Deep Offshore Community Affairs Group, DOCAG, engagement principles. The partners view the entire country as the Agbami community and as a Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, have been providing chest clinics and tuberculosis referral centres, science laboratories, libraries and scholarships to people, across the country.

Besides Eku, the Agbami partners have donated over 20 equipped chest clinics and TB referral centres to health institutions in Oshogbo, Osun State; Akure, Ondo State; University of Benue Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, Benue State; Umuahia, Abia State; Ilorin, Kwara State; Igbogene, Bayelsa State; Akwanga, Nassawara State; Ekiti, Ekiti State; Alimosho, Lagos State; Hansen’s Disease Centre, Ogun State; SMOH, General Hospital, Kaduna State; TB and Leprosy Referral Centre, Niger State and Auchi, Edo State.

They gave us  helping hand—Dr. Akpodiete

The specialist in charge of the Tuberculosis and Leprosy Centre, Eku, Dr. Alexander Akpodiete, confirmed to Niger Delta Voice that “the Agbami partners, indeed, completed and commissioned the chess clinic in the institution in 2010, furnished with beddings and provided utility items, including hand gloves and face masks.” He conducted Niger Delta Voice round the clinic and showed us the facilities provided by the Agbami partners, among them a chest X-ray machine and bio-safety cabinet and a building complex.

He said before the intervention of the Agbami partners, things were simply not functioning in the clinic, as the consulting room was in the administration block due to lack of space and logically, infection control could not be practiced under such situation. This resulted in the spread of infection among health workers and visitors. Dr. Akpodiete, however, said: “What Chevron did for us gave us a new lease of life, made our work easier and more tolerable.”

Dr. Akingbesote, who is in-charge of the Tuberculosis Referral Centre, Akure, Ondo State, told Niger Delta Voice that the chest clinic managed by the Specialist Hospital, Akure, was built and equipped by Agbami partners of Chevron Nigeria Limited. He said with the equipment provided by Chevron, “we are able to screen, diagnose and carry out other services in the clinic.”