COVID 19: Saudi Arabia donates medical items worth $1m to Nigeria 

From Fred Ezeh, Abuja

The donated medical items include 23 ventilators, good number of surgical sterile gowns, non-sterile surgical gowns, surgical mask and nitrite gloves.

Director, Media and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health, Olusegun Adetola, in a statement, indicated that Saudi Arabia Ambassador to Nigeria, Faisal Ibrahim Alghamdi, handed over the donated medical items to the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, in Abuja, on Tuesday.

He said the Ambassador, in his remarks, disclosed Saudi Arabia Government’s plan to organize 12 voluntary medical campaign to combat blindness, heart surgery and cataract in which medical campaign is planned for six Geo-political zones of the country.

He also mentioned different humanitarian assistance being rendered by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to displaced persons in the North-East, particularly the food basket worth of $10 million that have been distributed to families in some parts of the country like, Borno, Yobe, and Zamfara States.

Dr. Ehanire, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Alhaji Abdulazizi Mashi Abdullahi, also appreciated the Government of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its continuous contributions to the growth of health sector in Nigeria, particularly through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Centre.

He acknowledged the extensive efforts of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in combating blindness, cataract and glaucoma, in addition to other cases of sight weakness and disorders in Nigeria.

Mashi expressed Federal Government’s readiness to utilize the kind gesture of medical equipments positively and also distribute the items to various medical centres.

He, equally, commended the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its role as a key partner in global health and development, and also eulogize the Kingdom for being in forefront of combating the menace in order to save human lives and preserve global health.