Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd., (NLNG) says it has commenced the inauguration of Phase 1 projects in its multi-billion-naira Hospital Support Programme (NLNG HSP) to boost healthcare delivery.
Mr Andy Odeh, General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development of NLNG, said this in a statement on Friday in Lagos.
Odeh said the company inaugurated a maternity centre at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Gwagwalada.
He said the company would also inaugurate new Intensive Care Units (ICUs) at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH) in 2022 as part of the first phase of its HSP programme.
He said six hospitals were selected in the first phase, and that the NLNG HSP targeted 12 hospitals from the six geographical zones in the country.
“Other projects in the first phase due for commissioning early 2023 include an Occupational Therapy and Neuromodulation Rehabilitation Centre at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH).
“An Obstetrics & Gynecology Ward at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), and a Neurosurgical & Stroke Centre at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH),” he said.
Commissioning the maternity centre, Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, commended NLNG for the partnership and commitment to raising the level of healthcare delivery in the country.
Osagie said NLNG’s contribution of a Modern Maternity and Child Centre to UATH was in line with the principle of universal health coverage.
He also called for more partnerships in the sector to fill gaps in healthcare delivery.
Also speaking on NLNG’s commitment to hospital support programme, NLNG’s MD, Dr Philip Mshelbila, said the programme was conceived following the company’s COVID-19 intervention and its concern over the increasing pressure on the healthcare facilities in the country.
He stated that the goal of the project was to boost the tertiary healthcare delivery system in 12 teaching hospitals in the six geopolitical zones in the country, with attendant impacts on medical research and retention of in-country medical expertise.
“First hand, we have seen how investment in the health sector can change the face of healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
“We contributed significantly to fighting COVID-19 through the NNPC and other oil and gas industry partners by donating numerous intensive care medical equipment to medical facilities across the country.
“At the Federal Medical Centre, Yola, for instance, the equipment came in handy for the successful separation of a set of conjoined twins.
“This feat brought us at NLNG a lot of satisfaction as we saw the impact that our donation made in the lives of those innocent children and others who would utilise the equipment.
“We believe we can expand this impact by investing more in facilities across the country,” he said.
Mshelbila said each facility in the programme was based on the results of needs analyses, which were carried out in conjunction with the respective hospitals, to determine NLNG’s intervention area for each of the chosen teaching hospitals.
He said NLNG HSP was the second part of NLNG’s national Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.
He said the first part was the University Support Programme (USP) for the construction/rehabilitation of modern engineering laboratories, equipped with cutting-edge equipment in six universities which had since been completed.
“The newly commissioned UATH Maternity Centre consists of a 10-bed delivery suite, a 10-bed post-natal ward, two operating theatres and 10-bed Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU).
“Others are: consulting rooms, doctors and nurses’ rooms, a laboratory, a pharmacy, medical records office, a Close-Circuit Television (CCTV) system, Ultrasound scan room and other administrative offices.
“The other six university teaching hospitals to benefit from the HS Programme in Phase Two in 2023 through 2024 include Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi.
“The others are: Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH); Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi; Federal Medical Centre, Asaba; University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH); and University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) in Rivers State,” he added.
Dignitaries at the event include the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, represented by the Director of Hospital Services, Dr. B.O Alonge; Mshelbila, NLNG’s Deputy Managing Director, Mr Olalekan Ogunleye and UATH Chief Medical Director, Professor Bissallah Ekele.
Others are: Chairperson, Senate Committee on Women Affairs, Senator Betty Apiafi; Chairman House of Representative Committee on Health, Honourable Yusuf Tanko Sununu, among others.
NLNG is an incorporated Joint Venture owned by Federal Government, represented by Nigerian National Petroleum Company (49 per cent), Shell Gas B.V. (25.6 per cent), TotalEnergies Gaz & Electricite Holdings (15 per cent) and Eni International N.A. N. V. S.àr.l (10.4 per cent).
