The Wife of Anambra Governor, Dr Mrs Nonye Soludo has been conferred the Grand Matron of Pregnant Women and Children of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOUTH), Amaku-Awka.
COOUTH gave Mrs Soludo the award on Friday at the hospital premises to celebrate her birthday while she also used the opportunity to commission Healthy Living Pap and Implant Shop in the teaching hospital.
There, a large number of pregnant women, numbering over 500, were gathered for the ceremony and in returned, the First Lady gifted them antenatal packages and #20,000 each as well as 10 cartons of Healthy Living Pap to all pregnant women present.
In her acceptance speech, Mrs Soludo described the award of Grand Matron of COOUTH Pregnant Women and Children as the best birthday gift she had ever recieved.
She advocated for holistic medicine and the need for the pregnant women to consume healthy and natural food at all times, adding that their diet should be of utmost priority.
The First Lady asked them to take good care of themselves and children inside their wombs.
Mrs Soludo however charged the pregnant women to give exclusive breastfeeding to their new born babies, not only to achieve bonding between mother and child, but also because breast milk contains all the nutrients needed for the infants’ overall growth and development.
She also admonished the pregnant women to establish backyard gardens after childbirth, where they could grow and source fresh, natural foods for their families.
“It is only when you eat healthy food that you can give the baby the best in breastfeeding. Again, showing children love is my number one priority. Healthy living is the way forward. Health is the greatest wealth.
“Statistics of malnourished children in the state, was why we went into research and today, we produce the Healthy Living Pap for them,” she concluded.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike, commended Governor Charles Soludo for significant work being done at COOUTH.
“The governor has done a lot in COOUTH. He has tilled all the roads in the complex, installed solar lights, built a trauma centre, and pays the highest salary to resident doctors in the hospital,” he affirmed.
The commissioner also specifically commended the CMD for her efforts in moving the hospital to greater heights.
According to him, Dr. Umeakuewulu had demonstrated the capacity, commitment and sense of purpose required to transform the hospital into a world-class teaching institution.
“She is committed to moving the hospital forward and upgrading it to the highest level, and the government is ready to give her all the support,” he said.
Earlier, the Chief Medical Director of COOUTH, Dr Mrs Maureen Umeakuewulu said the honour done to the First Lady is to recognise her support in maternal and child care through her pet project – Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo.
Inspired by her healthy living initiative, the CMD announced that the hospital is shifting from a purely therapeutic model to a holistic and preventive one.
This includes the opening of a ‘Healthy Living Shop’ to provide dietary guidance and a first-of-its-kind ‘Implant Shop’ in the Southeast to improve surgical outcomes by providing a wide variety of sterilized implants on-site for orthopedic and neurological surgeries.
“The hospital has opened an ‘Implant Shop,’ which is the first of its kind in the Southeast. This shop addresses a major logistical challenge in orthopedic and neurological surgeries where surgeons previously had to order specific implants from Lagos, often with delays and limited options.
“Now, a comprehensive, sterilized set of various implants is brought directly to the operating theater. This gives surgeons the ‘luxury to choose’ the best-fitting implant during the procedure, significantly improving surgical precision and patient outcomes. The hospital plans to make this service available to other hospitals in the region,” she maintained.
Dr. Umeakuewulu emphasized the importance of preventive medicine to combat the rising prevalence of diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and cancer, especially in low-income countries.
She noted that the hospital aims to manage patients holistically, considering their physical, mental, and emotional well-being, starting with proper nutrition and preventive care.
“A Healthy Living Shop has been established where dietitians will educate patients on food preparation and proper nutrition, integrating this directly into the treatment plan alongside traditional medical prescriptions. The goal is to treat the patient in their totality—physically, mentally, and emotionally,” she affirmed.
The COOUTH CMD however appealed the First Lady to construct a Pediatric Complex in the area, as the hospital had recently passed accreditation in that specialty.
Responding, some of the pregnant women who spoke to this reporter, appreciated Mrs Soludo for the care given to them and the transformative projects and programmes being implemented by the CMD of COOUTH, Dr. Mrs Umeakuewulu.
Those presented include the Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr Law Mefor; Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr Tochukwu Nweke; the Head of Service, Barr Ngozi Iwouno; Secretary to State Government, Mrs Chiamaka Nnake; Speaker Anambra State House of Assembly represented by the Deputy Majority Leader, Hon Jude Akpua; traditional ruler of Igbo-Ukwu, Igwe Alexander Ejikemeuwa Azike, among others.###
