Uche Usim, Abuja
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) at the weekend handed over medical equipment to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospitals in Gwagwalada, the Federal Capital Territory, in its efforts to help combat the rampaging COVID-19 pandemic.
Items donated by the NNPC Group Managing Director, Mr Mele Kyari were: an oxygen generating plant; one brand new ambulance, six NNPC operational ambulance vehicles, one big ventilator, one small ventilator, patient monitor, hospital beds, bedside cupboards, overtop tables, air conditioners, fully automated 5-part haematology analyzer and semi-automated chemistry analyzer.
Other items handed over by the NNPC helmsman to the institution were: alert blood culture analyzer, Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) device, pro-express Samsung printer, binocular microscope, tabletop centrifuge and pipettes.
In his remarks, Kyari said: “Government cannot do this alone. Health systems, the world over, are getting overwhelmed. Countries with stronger health systems are struggling to contain the pandemic. In light of this, the Oil and Gas Industry is collaborating to strengthen Nigeria’s response to the pandemic. These efforts, coordinated by the Hon Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, will support Government agencies in providing urgently needed resources both human and materials required to curb this pandemic.”
NNPC and our industry intervening to support the FG efforts at curbing the spread and impact of COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/LJXJaht9mI
— Mele Kyari (@MKKyari) March 28, 2020
He added that the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health, had mapped out measures to respond adequately to the outbreak of the disease in Nigeria, saying a multi-sectoral team, led by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), was at the forefront of the effort.
Kyari commended the Minister of Health and the entire Ministry, the NCDC, the Public Health Department (PHD) of FCT, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital and the entire medical community in the Country for their efforts in combating the virus, stressing that the NNPC remained grateful for their dedication in safeguarding the lives of Nigerians.
“It is obvious that to fight this menace, we all have to collaborate to ensure that Nigeria defeats this virus,” Kyari appealed.
On his part, the Medical Director of NNPC Medical Services Limited, Dr. Mohammed Zango, said the corporation as a responsible organization, was making the donation to meet the urgent medical needs of the isolation centre in Abuja and to make the centre more effective in delivering on its mandate.
Earlier, the Chief Medical Director of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Professor Bissallah Ekele, commended the NNPC for rising up to the occasion by supplying the essential medical equipment to the hospital, noting that the gesture would go a long way in helping the hospital to save lives.
He observed that the teaching hospital had never been given such a huge and generous support in the 26 years history of its establishment, assuring that the equipment would be judiciously used.
Responding on behalf of the Director-General of NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, who was unavoidably absent at the occasion, the Director of Administration of the NCDC, Alh. Yahaya Abdullahi, described the medical equipment donated by NNPC as the largest intervention so far received, even as he called on other corporate organisations to emulate the national oil company.
