… donates ambulance, refurbishes General Hospital ward
The ambulance parked beside the refurbished ward
Chevron, Nigeria’s third-largest oil producer, Tuesday intensified its partnership with the Lagos state government on health care delivery, as it handed over to the government, a refurbished female ward at Epe General Hospital, while also donating a fully equipped ambulance to enhance the hospital’s services.
Handing over the ward and ambulance at the hospital in Epe, the company’s Managing Director Mr. Clay Neff who was represented by Mr. Sola Adebawo, Acting GM, Policy, Government and Public Affairs said the company’s intervention was in line with its and co-venturers’ “traditional care which includes a robust health programme in the pursuit of our Corporate Responsibilty as conscientious business organization.”
Mr. Neff further said that the company views healthcare as a cruicial social service that needs inclusive support, adding that it had successfully partnered with the state to implement various programmes in the areas of health, education, economic empowerment and the environment.
He noted that the increasing health pressure in the country could not be resolved “by merely adding resources, ”adding that this must be addressed with new methods of service delivery.
“We hope that the ambulance, which we have donated today, will positively impact the mobility and capacity of the health system. We also hope that it will add value to the first line in the continuum of health care and contribute significantly to ‘treat and transfer’ or ‘treat and leave’ programmes in Epe area and beyond.”
He commended the management of Epe General Hospital for its services and expressed confidence that the ambulance and the upgraded ward would be judiciously used for the benefit of the people.
In his remarks the General Manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) Mr. Dafe Sejebor, represented by Mrs Helen Nkwo, Supervisor, Community Development, told guests that the NNPC/Chevron joint venture was committed to improving health care delivery in the state “in line with our resolute commitment to support the government to provide better life to the people.”
He urged all stakeholders to work towards the sustainability of the projects and be committed “so that its objective will be met and we would have collectively improved health care delivery in our communities.”
Receiving the ambulance and the ward, the hospital’s Medical Director Dr. Dr. S.B Mustapha recalled that the 61-year old hospital had never witnessed any form of renovation since it was established in 1954.
While thanking Chevron for its intervention, the Medical Director disclosed that the hospital was facing “quite enormous” challenges ranging from infrastructural decay to old and “out of vogue” equipment.
He called on other corporate bodies to take a queue from Chevron Nigeria “as there are more than enough projects yearning for (attention) renovation. We shall also appreciate donation in form of utility vehicles and equipments”
Dr. Mustapha however achnowledged the state government’s provision of a new ambulance, a brand new 250 KVA generator and a state-of-the-art mobile x-ray machine to the hospital.
The event also had in attendance top officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, and traditional rulers of the Epe community.