Four years after it was initiated, the volunteer obstetrics scheme (VOS) launched nationwide this week in hopes of allowing obstetricians and gynaecologists from teaching hospitals render their expertise in rural health centres across the country.
The launch comes four years since it was initiated by the Society for Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Nigeria (SOGON), which signed an agreement with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency in 2013.
Lagos, Kogi and Ebonyi have already begun implementing VOS, and the SOGON president, Dr Brian Adinma, says its thousand-strong membership across the country have indicated interest to volunteer.
Under the scheme O&G volunteers “will choose primary or secondary health facilities in their location, and depending on their timing should be able to visit the centre at least once month though we encourage every week,” Adinma explained.
“When you visit, you will have to carry out clinical services, train the health workers on things they don’t know, mentor them and do supportive supervision.
“But more importantly, you have to document whatever you are doing and send in report every month to SOGON, NPHCDA and the local government.”
Rollout of VOS in some states has been hit by transport problems hampering volunteering from finding their way to their adopted health centres.
The United Nations Population Fund has stepped in to offer assistance, and
SOGON is optimistic “when people see what we are doing, a lot more organistions will come assist in that regard.”
An executive of SOGON, Dr Chris Agboghoroma, defending VOS, said many nongovernment organisations and individuals were all over rural areas doing the work of O&G specialists “because they think we don’t want to.”
‘It is a disgrace for you to go [outside] the countryand be reminded that in your country, women [are dying]. It is a disgrace.”
