From Suleiman Amagbor, Lagos
The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Wednesday in Port Harcourt, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with three hospitals in order to complete the second phase of its multi-billion-naira Hospital Support Programme (NLNG HSP).
The NLNG Hospital Support Programme (HSP) is the gas company’s national Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative aimed at boosting the healthcare delivery system in 12 federal university teaching hospitals and health institutions across the six geopolitical zones in the country.
Speaking at the ceremony, NLNG’s Managing Director, Dr. Philip Mshelbila recalled that the HSP initiative was conceived on the back of the COVID-19 pandemic when NLNG donated numerous intensive care medical equipment to medical institutions across Nigeria.
According to the NLNG boss, one of the fundamentals of the HSP programme is to foster partnerships that support infrastructural development and encourage immediate utilisation of the facilities to deliver quality healthcare services to Nigerians.
Mshelbila said, “Through this MoU, we will be able to channel our collective efforts towards addressing the healthcare needs of our people, promoting healthcare delivery, and driving positive change in the lives of vulnerable individuals”.
“The hospitals involved in today’s MoU have a proven and long-standing tradition of providing quality healthcare services to all sections of society. This MoU will amplify our collective impact, leveraging our resources, expertise, and locations to the outcomes of the Hospital Support Programme,” he added.
The programme started in 2022 with the signing and implementation of MoUs with six hospitals in the first phase.
For the second phase, Dr. Mshelbila, signed MoUs with the respective Medical Directors of the Federal Medical Centre Asaba for the renovation and equipping of a Neonatal Wards and Intensive Care Unit; the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital Bauchi, for the construction and equipping of laboratory complex; and the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, for the renovation and construction of an oxygen plant.
Health and training institutions that benefited from the phase 1 of the Hospital Support Programme include Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Lagos; University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Gwagwalada; Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) Kano; University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin; University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Calabar; and Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH), Yenagoa.
Also, projects already delivered in Phase 2 include the equipping of the renal centre at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Port Harcourt; the renovation and equipping of an accident and emergency unit and theatre at University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), Uyo; and the construction and equipping of a twin theatre suite at Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Jos while NLNG has commissioned eight of the projects so far.
Digitaries at the event include NLNG’s Deputy Managing Director, Mr Olakunle Osobu;
NLNG’s General Manager, Finance, Mrs Fatima Adanan; Chief Medical Director (CMD), Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, Dr. Osiatuma Azubuike; CMD, Nnamdi Azikwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Prof. Joseph Ugboaja; and CMD, Abubakar Tafawa Belewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Prof. Yusuf Jibrin.
The Hospital Support Programme is a multi-billion-naira scheme by NLNG to reshape the healthcare landscape and enhance medical training within teaching hospitals nationwide. All the completed projects are already in active use.
