FEDERAL MEDICAL CENTRE, OWO
MEDICAL SOCIAL WORKS DEPARTMENT
Mr Tunde Folorunso
The practice and profession of Social Work has a relatively modern and scientific origin and it is generally considered to have developed out of three strands which include;
(i) The individual case work,
(ii) Social administration,
(iii) Social action.
(1.) The individual casework is a strategy pioneered by the charity organization society in the mid-19th
Century.
(2.) The social administration included various forms of poverty relief (“relief of paupers”), which is
said to have its root in the English poor Laws of the 17th Century but was first systematized through the efforts of the charity organization.
(3.) Social action – here emphasis was placed on political action working through the community
and the group to improve individuals’ conditions and thereby alleviate poverty rather than
engaging in the resolution of immediate individual requirements. These three strands had their
most rapid growth during the 19th century and laid foundational basis for modern social work
both in theory and practice.
Professional social work originated in the 19th century England and had its roots in the social and economic upheaval wrought by the industrial Revolution, in particular the societal struggle to deal with the resultant mass urban-based poverty and its related problems.
Social work was intricately linked with the idea of charity work because poverty was the main focus of the early social work.
Social work is an interdisciplinary profession, meaning that it draws from a number of areas such as psychology, sociology, politics, criminology, economics, ecology, education, health, law, philosophy, anthropology and counselling.
Social Work – it is a professional service based upon scientific knowledge and skill in human relation which help or assist individual, group or community to obtain social, personal satisfaction and independence.
In the hospital setting medical social workers are trained individuals working through a variety of programmes to help patients and their families deal with a variety of psychosocial problems that often accompany illness.
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Social work services cover nearly all the department in the hospital especially in the clinical section. Our main role is to ensure that our patients or clients receive decent standard of care.
Social workers are frequently called upon or consulted when patients are in crisis whether financial or personal. When patients came to Medical Social Workers or are referred to them by other health care providers, the role of social worker is to assess the problem and sort it out in the most effective manner that is acceptable to the patients which falls within their power. The aim, apart from sorting out particular problems is to ensure that the patient does not have to face these problems again.
Some of the functions and duties performed by us at FMC, Owo include the following:
– Counseling generally
– Serve as a resource person to the patients
– Liaison services – RTA, Emergency cases which families are not aware of the accident
– Contact tracing or tracking of patients with infection or deadly disease
– Working with the consultants on clinic days especially in Psychiatric cases
– attending of ward round with consultants
– General care of abandoned babies while in the hospitals
– Care for the abandoned babies and contact with the social welfare Centre or police.
– Occupational rehabilitation
– Family therapy
– Housing rehabilitation
– Health talk with community nurses
– Repatriation work – patient of poor family support.
– Recommendation of patient to management especially the paupers to reduce hospital
charges (Mean test)
Department Email – socialwork.fmcowo@gmail.comn.
Phone No. 08166130917