..commissions JULAYO centre in Akure, targets preventive healthcare
..advocates research, education to transform Nigeria’s health sector
A United States-based Nigerian medical doctor and professor, Dr. Fumi Bandele, has said her decision to establish the JULAYO Health Centre in Akure, Ondo State, was inspired by a lifelong desire to give back to the community where her journey began and provide affordable and preventive care for the underprivileged people.
Speaking in an interview with some female journalists during the tour of the facility, the nurse practitioner and professor at the University of San Francisco explained that the idea of establishing a medical centre was born after losing relatives to preventable health conditions, including stroke and septicemia.
According to her, the experiences exposed the challenges facing Nigeria’s healthcare system, particularly inadequate access to quality care for vulnerable people and the elderly.
“It is so sad that young people cannot get proper healthcare and elderly people have to depend almost entirely on their families. That was one of the reasons I relocated my parents to the United States, where they now receive the care they deserve,” she said.
Bandele said she initially planned to build a medical centre after retirement but later decided to begin through a non-governmental organisation with the support of friends and family.
JULAYO HEALTH CENTRE COMMISSIONING BY ONDO STATE COMMISSIONER FOR HEALTH, DR. BANJI AJAKA
She explained that the organisation, JULAYO Incorporated, was founded in 2022 by herself and an American colleague, Julia Pok, combining both names to create “JULAYO.”
The NGO collaborates with international organisations to source medical equipment for underserved health facilities in Nigeria.
She disclosed that through a partnership with Project C.H.E.A.L., the organisation imported medical equipment worth hundreds of thousands of dollars for JULAYO Health Centre, the State Specialist Hospital, Akure, and a health facility in Oda.
According to her, the NGO spent about 40,000 dollars on shipping alone.
However, she lamented that bureaucratic bottlenecks delayed the importation process for about one year, resulting in the loss of many donated items.
“Getting the equipment was easy, but bringing them into Nigeria was the biggest challenge. We lost many of the items because of delays in getting an import duty waiver,” she said.
She, however, commended some government officials who assisted the organisation in overcoming the hurdles.
The health expert said the newly established centre currently has more than 10 staff members, including doctors, nurses, security personnel and cleaners, and is awaiting its final operational licence.
She said the centre is equipped with modern facilities, including incubators, delivery beds, ultrasound machines, electrocardiogram (EKG) machines and laboratory equipment.
Bandele stressed that the centre would focus on preventive healthcare, maternal and child health services, laboratory investigations and emergency stabilisation before referring complicated cases to specialist hospitals.
“We want to prevent diseases before they occur through education, routine screening and early intervention. If we cannot manage a case, we will stabilise the patient and transfer them because people’s lives are more important,” she said.
She disclosed that during a recent free medical outreach organised to test the facility’s operations in Ijoka Akure, about 80 residents received healthcare services.
According to her, several participants were diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes and malaria and were treated free of charge.
“We didn’t advertise on radio or television. We simply visited the community and invited residents. Eighty people came in one day, and many of them had serious health conditions they didn’t even know about,” she said.
Bandele emphasised that the centre was not established for profit making.
“I am not looking to make a dime from this. I am looking to give back. I am not seeking any political office. My goal is to save lives one patient and one community at a time,” she stated.
She explained that patients who can afford treatment would be encouraged to contribute towards sustaining the facility, while those unable to pay would still receive care.
“If you have money, support us. If you don’t have money, get treated. Nobody will be sent home because they cannot afford healthcare,” she said.
Bandele urged governments at all levels to strengthen primary healthcare, expand health insurance coverage and reduce bureaucratic obstacles affecting healthcare delivery.
She also called for greater investment in preventive healthcare, community health education and medical research.
“We have to remove selfishness from the system. Bureaucracy and delays cost lives. Government should listen to health workers, support primary healthcare and ensure more people are enrolled in health insurance schemes,” she said.
She added that the long-term vision for JULAYO Health Centre includes expanding its services, introducing research-driven programmes to ensure sustainability and attracting more medical equipment to Ondo State.
“In the next five years, I see this centre becoming much bigger and influencing the bringing of more medical equipment, including MRI machines, to Ondo State.
“Mine is to serve humanity. If you are wired to serve humanity, you don’t rest until you fulfil that dream,” she said.
