By Hassan Zaggi
Ten healthcare workers in Bwari and Gwagwalada Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been awarded for their excellent service to humanity.
The award ceremony was organised by the Dr. Aminu Magashi Garba (AMG) Foundation in partnership with a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO)- theHeroic Discovery and Community Development center (HEDCODEC), in Abuja.
The award ceremony was part of activities to celebrate the United Nations Public Service day.
The award was aimed at celebrating and encouraging the most outstanding healthcare front-liners who have demonstrated and achieved great excellence in their field of endeavor.
Speaking, the Coordinator of the Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN) who also doubles as the Chairman, Aminu Magashi Garba Foundation, Dr. Aminu Magashi, explained that: “The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us so many things.
“During the lock down, I was privileged to go round to see what was happening. We saw the wonderful work health workers at the facility level were doing. The health workers have been exposed to a lot of risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When it started, there was no Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), many were using whatever comes their way for protection, gradually support started coming from the government and development partners.
“The COVID-19 has changed the way we think to understand that the health workers working at the facility level are very key.
“Whatever any minister, commissioner or any government appointee can do to ensure that the health workers are properly taken care of should be done.”
Speaking on the rationale behind the award, Dr. Magashi, disclosed that he was penciled for award by the management of HEDCODEC but he decided that front line healthcare workers at the facility should be recognized and encouraged for their service to humanity.
On the next step, Dr. Magashi said: “We started with Gwagwalada and Bwari Area Councils, by next year, we hope that all the six area councils will be included.”
He called on the well-meaning Nigerians and philanthropists in all parts of the country to take the idea and celebrate front line health workers in their area.
Earlier, an official of HEDCODEC, Kabir Abddulsalam, commended the Dr. Aminu Magashi Garba (AMG) Foundation for funding the award ceremony.
He explained that: “Our organization, as one of its core objectives, previously planned to present an award to Dr. Aminu Magashi Garba for his outstanding performance in the humanitarian sector.
“This was later remolded by the two organizations to become a sustainable mechanism for awarding outstanding front-line health workers in Nigeria who have demonstrated and achieved great excellence in their field of endeavor within Bwari, Gwagwalada Area Council, Abuja.”
Responding on behalf of the awardees, Onah Michael, a mental health nurse at the Gwagwalada township clinic, applauded the organisers of the award for the honour, noting that they will continue to do more for the service of humanity.
“We are in the health department not by chance, hence, we are ready to pay any price for humanity,” he stressed.
Michael further called on the organisers of the award to sustain it for the growth of the health sector in Nigeria.
A cross section of the awardees interviewed by our Correspondent expressed gratitude to the organisers and pledged to do more at their place of assignment.
Each awardee was given a plague, certificate and some amount of cash.
