Oyo Correspondents’ Chapel partners NIKZAR Hospital on members’ healthcare

The Health Committee and executives of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) have initiated moves to prioritise the health and wellbeing of members through a proposed partnership with NIKZAR Hospital.

The move was made during a courtesy visit by the chapel’s leadership to the management and staff of NIKZAR Hospital to seek collaboration and support in the area of healthcare delivery and medical outreach for journalists.

Speaking during the interaction, the Human Resources Manager of the hospital, Mr. Bolarinwa Joseph, highlighted key areas of the proposed partnership, including the framework for collaboration, areas of mutual benefit, possible locations and schedules for medical outreach programmes, as well as the financial and human resource implications involved.

Mr. Bolarinwa explained that the hospital’s partnership with the chapel would largely revolve around medical outreach initiatives, noting that such programmes require substantial resources and therefore cannot be organised frequently.

He urged the leadership of the Correspondents’ Chapel, led by its Chairman, Yinka Adeniran, to clearly outline how the partnership would be beneficial to both parties.

According to him, the hospital could support members of the chapel mainly through medical outreach programmes, stressing that although healthcare organisations are profit-oriented, community outreach remains part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR).

“The essence of outreach is giving back to the community, especially through services rendered without the primary aim of maximising profit,” he said.

Mr. Bolarinwa also raised the possibility of members of the Correspondents’ Chapel adopting the hospital under a Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO) arrangement, describing it as a mutually beneficial initiative.

Similarly, one of the directors of the hospital, Engineer Tosin Ajisefinni, who is also a sibling of the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, sought to know the level of awareness and acceptance of HMO schemes among journalists to ensure a sustainable relationship.

Responding, the Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Yinka Adeniran, said there was no unified HMO arrangement for members of the NUJ, although individual journalists might have separate healthcare plans through their respective media organisations.

Corroborating the chairman’s position, Bolarinwa noted that proximity often plays a major role in the choice of HMO providers.

Adeniran further stated that while the hospital would handle the medical outreach aspect of the partnership, journalists would be responsible for providing suitable locations and venues for such programmes.

He also appealed to the management of NIKZAR Hospital to participate in the chapel’s forthcoming Press Week, tentatively scheduled to hold between August and September this year, though it may extend to December.

The chapel chairman equally appealed to the hospital to organise an initial medical outreach programme ahead of the Press Week activities as a way of strengthening the proposed partnership.

Adeniran emphasised the importance of collaboration between the media and healthcare institutions, noting that corporate social responsibility activities help to promote and protect the image of organisations.

“Partnership is just about relationship in which you will enjoy free publicity. Partnership may expire but friend will always stand by each other.

“The best way to amplify this publicity is through activities. Some of the CSR you do can be reported and your activities will be known and heard by all of and sundry,” he said.