The St. Agnes Parish Clinic

McGarry Centre: Housing the Parish offices, bookshop, the Clinic and Laboratory

The present St. Agnes Catholic Church Clinic came into existence first as Childline Foundation Clinic at the thoughtful instance of Mrs. Akerele, a parishioner. Her proposition to the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Kevin McGarry received the latter endorsement, and the clinic began to function on 1st May 1989. It catered essentially for children.

The progress of the Childline Foundation Clinic was interrupted on 23rd December, 1995 due to disagreements between the initiator and the parish. By 7 th January, 1996 the clinic was resuscitated. Its services involved the management of minor ailments and blood pressure checks for parishioners. By this time, the location had been moved to the ground floor of the parish office (the McGarry Centre).

Supervision was provided by some dedicated Catholic doctors, nurses and auxiliary staff.

Most of the equipment and drugs for use in the clinic were donated by the doctors and a few other parishioners. The medical officers took turns to provide free consultations for the clinic, while the parish priest paid the monthly salaries of the allied personnel.

Two of the doctors, Dr. Abeke and Gbenga Omolayole volunteered to jointly pay a third medical officer Dr. EIB Okechukwu on hourly basis to consult for the clinic to ensure regularity. From February 1997 however, the clinic effectively took over full payment of its staff salaries.

On the 5th of November, Rev. Sr. Patricia Anyanwu, OLA, resumed duties as the matron in charge of the day-to-day functioning of the clinic, to facilitate its further growth.

The Caring Church

In June 1997, following applications made the previous year, officials of the Lagos State Private Hospital Registeration Authority comprising of a medical doctor and a nursing officer visited the clinic for pre-registeration inpsection. The Rev. Sisterin charge conducted around the premises, and supplied clarifications to their questions.

They were satisfied with the structure and the of the services provided The result was the receipt of full registrational documents from the Authority a few month later.

Rev. Sr. Anyanwu later left to open OLA convent and cilnic in Bauchi, and Rev. Sr.Edel Mowah took over the management of the facility.

Structure

The clinic occupied over 80 percent of the ground flour of the one- story building, the McGarry Centre. The clinic space is made of two rooms with an adjionting toilet, a despensary, the reception post, drug store, toilet and bathroom,the injestion and dressing area, a one-bednm oberversation room and a large waiting arena.

There is records clerk/cashier who receives patients,and registers them.She issued card asn reciept of all payment from clients.

The waiting Room area has long chairs and table for patient their cohorts. The despensary has in-built shelves and a cupbaord for depensing drugs to patients within the waiting room. A demarcation within the despensary is for taking the vital signs of the clients, including their body weight. Just after the observation room is the injection / dressing corner, an open place with a screen to provide privacy.

Service provided:

These include family health care services such as care of sick childerine and adults, male and female as well as antenatal care (ANC) for pregant mother and serial immunization of infants. Family planning and counseling based onthe Billings ' method of Natural

Family Planning is provide by Mrs.Obadina weekly on Thursdays. Pregant at 34-36 weeks of gestation are encouraged to register at the hospital oftheir own choice for delivery of babies. Being a day clinic patient are admitted only for rehydration and stabilization of their condition prior to referral as specific cases demand, either to the general hospital or that of their own preference. The clinic delivered its first baby, a bouncing male infant on 21st August, 1997.

Laboratory Service

There has always existed a strong yearning for a medical laboratory allied to the clinic. The structure layout has been concluded by Lt. Col. the remaining ground floor hitherto not used for the clinic accommodation .

The clinic opens weekdays from 8.00am to 2.00pm save when emergency case extend work. On weekends patients on daily injection are provided for by the Rev.Sr. in charge.