Welcome to the About Us Page
Maternal and Child Health Clinic
Our Mission
Our mission is to work in collaboration with Christ and in accordance with our Charism to bring holistic healing to all especially the poor, marginalized, women and children through preventive, curative and surgical interventions.
Our Vision
Participating through the healing ministry in the mission of Christ – “that they may have life and have it to the full.” John 10:10.
This Health institution began in 1966 as a Maternity Home, Bagangu now called Akum. It was begun and run by the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary. The pioneer Sister that began this ministry was Sr. Mary Vincent Donohoe.
Sisters with a few nursing and midwifery staff she employed also run a mobile clinic to Awing, Baligham, Menka, Pinyin, Alatening, Santa Coffee Estate, Mbuh, Babah 2, and Mbatu. As time went on the Government provided Health Centres to these villages, hence the outreach services had to stop. They began with one building – the Out Patient Department in which a room holding 6 beds was created for maternity services. Since there was no place for Sister to live in she had to go to work from Mankon thrice a week. In 1969 the second building called the Medical In-Patient Department was built to take care of In-patients admission and maternity services. This building could hold 56 beds. The funding for building and equipment came mainly from Overseas. The local people – the Akum indigenes provided sand, stone and water. The first ambulance was bought in 1971 with help of the fund donated by the American charity organization In 1973 the officially Registration and authorization to function as a Health Centre was granted by the Ministry of Health. In 1974 two water tanks were built by SATA but funded by the Canadian Catholic Aid and CAFOD.
Between 1989 and 2006 visiting Doctors consulted and attended to our patients. These Doctors were from Focolare Movement and are Dr. Tim Bazzoli, Fernando Rico and Susi Cadazzi. Sister Dr. Hilary Lyons MSHR on invitation arrived to Akum in 1995 and contributed a lot in setting up the Health Centre to a high standard institution, especially in the areas of Primary Health care, Administration, facilities and infrastructure. As a result a Regional Health Board was formed, Organigramme, Job descriptions for various staff levels and departmental check list for supervision were developed and Annual financial and activities reports were introduced. In 1997 Sister Mary Coleman MSHR came to review the Laboratory and from her suggestions modifications and renovations were carried out to improve the standard of the laboratory services. In the same year a vehicle was donated by the Irish Government for the primary Health care services. In 1998 an extension for patients use was built and funded by the Universal Concern England. In 1999 a new ambulance and a motor cycle were bought with funds got from the projects written by Sr. Hilary Lyons.
Since 1999 to 2016 the following developments had taken place in the Institution:
High standard of patients care, employment of resident doctors and dedicated qualified staff for various fields of service, increase in patients’ attendance and utilization of facilities, three different story buildings constructed for staff residence; theatre/surgical wards/maternity, multipurpose hall and modern restaurant for patients, their care-givers and staff. There is an embalmment mortuary and four ambulance vehicles available. With the introduction of treatment Centre for Tuberculosis and HIV / AIDs; a chest unit was constructed and there is a good functioning Day Care Treatment Centre for People living with HIV/AIDS. The number of staff has risen from 21 in 1999 to 76 in 2016. Students from various Health departments and from different Schools come for their clinical experience every year.
The following Sisters have worked in this institution since 1966 to date:
Vincent Donohoe, Josephine Russell, Nkechi Akunyili, Augustine Cahill , Sheila McElroy, Mary Ugwu, Dympna Lynch, Mary Barry, Anthonia Nnaike, Constantia Daly, Peggy Sheahan, Seraphine awemo, Rosaleen Browne, Noreen O’Connor, Lucy Onwuka, Noirin Walsh, Marie Mulvey, Hilary Lyons, Dympna McLoughlin , Linda Mcgarvey, Jacinta Ali, Bernadette Kelly, Catherine Lavin, Virginia Okeke, Christiana Anyaegbunam, Secunda Ebang, Nkeiruka Njoku, Rita Shalvey, Celestina Nnadi, Nora Ngala, Anne Fitzpatrick, Rose Amy Tene, Ngozi Okoli, Ruth Chetambe, Dorothy Agbasielo, Ndidi Ezeh, Franka Dzeaye , Francisca Neba and Claudette Kinyuy.
HOLY FAMILY HOSPITAL HEALTH BOARD
Is made up of six or more members namely; the Sisters working in the hospital, The Regional Leader,The Regional Bursar and a neutral person with good knowledge and experience in management and finance.
This board meets twice in a year.
Their first meeting which comes within the first quarter of the year is mainly on the Annual Reports on Hospital activities presented by the matron and the financial account/budget –presented by the Administrator. The Deputy administrator is the secretary of this board.
The second meeting comes at the last quarter of the year and it is based on reviews of various staff job descriptions, activities check list for various departments and on inventory.
At the beginning or end of each board meeting the members move round the institution to see the reality of the place and meet with the staff.
Their functions are:
- To attend the board meetings
- Offer technical advice to the administrative team
- Support the administrative team and the entire staff
- Supervision of work and environs on the days for board meeting
- Checking and correcting of financial account and budget
- Recommending the Account and budget to the Regional Leadership Team for approval
- Review of Job descriptions for various staff categories
- Handle any discrepancy or misunderstanding coming from any of the job descriptions
- Review of check list for activities of the various departments and to ensure they are being used
- Supervise the inventory book and the last date of review