Provost, College of Health Sciences, Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, Kogi State, Prof. Solomon Avidime, has appealed to spirited individuals in Ebiraland and beyond to assist the state government in providing quality healthcare to the people of the state.
He made the appeal yesterday at CUSTECH University Teaching Hospital, Okene, during a workshop for 15 health officers on the use of AED Defibrillator equipment donated to the hospital by Joseph Oyeyani Makoju (JOM) Foundation, facilitated by the provost.
According to him, the state government has invested heavily in the health sector to provide quality healthcare to its citizens.
He noted that the government required support from individuals and organisations to bring healthcare to the doorsteps of the less fortunate, especially in rural areas.
Speaking on the significance of the workshop, Professor Avidime said, “The essence of the training workshop is to save lives. Recently, there have been cases of sudden death as a result of cardiac arrest. Also, new medical equipment can be used to save lives, and because of such equipment, there is every need to train health officers in the area of usage so that they can save lives when the need arises.
“It is on this note that Joseph Oyeyani Makoju Foundation donated some equipment for cardiac resuscitation. The foundation donated the equipment for free and sponsored the training. The donation was made to CUSTECH Teaching Hospital as part of the foundation’s corporate social responsibility.
“This gesture is to collaborate with the state government’s effort to uplift the health sector in the state. Kogi State had invested so much in the health sector, and the government also required organisations such as Joseph Oyeyani Makoju Foundation and others to support healthcare services in the state.
Professor Avidime charged participants to take advantage of the training to acquire the requisite knowledge to enhance their efficiency in addressing cardiac arrest cases and urged them to pass the knowledge on to other hospital health workers.
Abdul-Gold Mohammed, who presented the foundation’s speech, stated that the donation signified the Makoju family’s commitment to enhancing quality healthcare delivery in Ebira land and its wider communities.
“This presentation derives from the desire to uphold the philanthropic legacy of our late patriarch, Engineer Joseph Oyeyani. The donation by Dr Ovayoza Makoju Adeleye is in commemoration of her 50th birthday and in honour of the memory of her beloved brother, Enesi Oyeyani, who passed on to greater glory on February 25, 2025.
Mohammed urged the beneficiaries of the training to utilise the knowledge gained to benefit the patients.
In his remark, the chief medical director of CUSTECH Teaching Hospital, Okene, Dr Stephen Shuaibu, commended the foundation for donating AED equipment to the hospital and assured that the equipment will be utilised to save lives.
The trainer, a consultant cardiologist, Dr Henry Oshaju, said the participants were taught how to resuscitate victims of cardiac arrest using the AED equipment.
He pointed out that globally, there were rising cases of cardiovascular diseases, noting that the training has become imperative for the participants to have the knowledge on how best to address the health challenge when it occurs.
Dr Oshaju praised the foundation for donating the equipment and training health officers on using the AED equipment.
