The Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State has pledged its collaboration with the Ebonyi State Gender-Based Violence Taskforce in responding to GBV issues and survivors in the State.
The move was to ensure that all survivors are holistically managed: medically, psychologically and emotionally.
The commitment was the outcome of the Taskforce’s Advocacy visit to the hospital on Friday in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.
The Taskforce Team was led by its State Coordinator, Faithvin Nwanchor.
Addressing members of the taskforce in his office, the newly appointed Chief Medical Director, Professor Robinson Onoh, commended them for their efforts, which he said has manifestly reduced GBV incidence in the State.
Expressing his interest in GBV issues, the CMD undertook to set up a special team of professionals in the hospital to handle gender based violence cases.
Oooh also promised to reactivate and rejig the GBV unit of the hospital with desk officer for prompt response to GBV and such related issues.
Onoh emphasized: “GBV is an area that is poorly reported, hence the necessity for a taskforce.
“It will be my happiness to be part of this taskforce because in the course of my research work, it is one of the areas I ventured into.
“This is a group that will help restore the sanctity and the image of women and others affected by violence.
“In our hospital we have always taken care of the violence aspects of our patients and we are ready to work with you.
“We will gather a team of passionate professionals from our units to manage GBV cases.
“We want to work with you so we can give a better life to the women and other vulnerable groups.”
While admonishing the taskforce members to be vanguards of what they preach in their social lives, Onoh further pledged to collaborate with other agencies and partners to see how the costs of GBV survivors’ treatment could be waived or reduced to barest minimum in the hospital.
Nwanchor, in her address, congratulated the CMD on his appointment.
She stated that the visit was in tandem with the Taskforce’s effort to securing the partnership of stakeholders in managing as well as reducing GBV prevalence in the State.
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She said: “We are aware that a survivor centered approach to gender violence requires a multi sectoral approach as well as collaboration across relevant sectors; from civil society to local and national governments; from justice and law enforcement to health and socio-economic services.
“The taskforce since inauguration have worked so hard towards meeting with their aims and objectives.”
Nwanchor requested the CMD, among other things, to get more Doctors trained and fully dedicated to GBV unit, make the unit more functional as well as waive cost of GBV services to survivors in the hospital.
The Ebonyi State GBV taskforce was set up in 2020 and inaugurated in 2021 as a Government/CSOs initiative to fight GBV and other related matters in the State.