From Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
The Federal Government (FG) has celebrated the MTN Foundation for donating medical equipment to the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Gombe.
In an address at the commissioning of the equipment which includes two dental chairs with accessories, a set of Laparoscopy and Hysteroscopy equipment and a Console for Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) treatments, the Minister of Health Dr Osagie Ihanire, said that the donation of the is an impetus to efforts of the Government in improving health services.
Represented by Dr Adebimpe Adebiyi the Director of Hospital Services, Osagie assured that the gesture by the Foundation which was delivered under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of the telecommunication company would go a long way in strengthening health care delivery at the tertiary health facility.
He explained that the government was aware of the challenges being faced by the health sector, and he assured that efforts were being made to address the existing gaps in health infrastructure and human resources for health.
The minister who also commissioned a new 50-bed capacity Accident and Emergency unit that was constructed by the hospital’s management board said: “The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari remains fully committed to strengthening our national health care system particularly focusing on the important role of the sector in human capital development”.
While commending the MTN Foundation for what he described as a remarkable gesture to the nation, the minister equally said: “I invite other stakeholders to join hands with Government in the quest to provide healthcare services to our teeming population”.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the MTN Foundation, Prince Julius Adeluyi, said that the foundation had been collaborating with the Federal and state government in touching lives through the provision of social services to communities across the state.
The Chairman who was represented by the Executive Secretary, of the foundation Mrs Odunayo Sanya further stated that the provision of hospital equipment at the FTH Gombe was borne out of the partnership with the governments at all levels.
He thanked the federal and the state government for allowing MTN to contribute to Gombe State. He said that the foundation which was formed in 2004 was motivated by MTN’s belief that everyone deserves to benefit from modern connected life.
Meanwhile, Dr Yusuf Abdullahi, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the FTH Gombe appreciated both federal and state governments as well as the MTN Foundation and other actors for contributing to the development of the tertiary health facility.
However, he called for more interventions saying: “Even as we have the needed manpower, facilities have always been our challenge, in the whole of Gombe state we don’t have a Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan facility and that has made several patients run to either Bauch, Kano or Yobe states for such services”.