Healthcare Challenges: A'Ibom Govt Gets Foreign Aid

Ubong Sampson - Uyo

If there is any commitment on the part of government in Akwa Ibom state towards improving healthcare delivery to its citizenry, then such commitment has just been boosted further by SAFI Renewable Energy Ltd and Climate Managers Fund, as both European fund investors have partnered to donate medical equipments to the state.

Delivering the equipments at the Methodist General Hospital/Isolation Center, Ituk Mbang, Yinka Ogundare, the representative of SAFI said the donation was not only part of the partners' corporate-social responsibilities, but also prompted by their desire to invest in Nigeria, as well as interest in climate friendly environments.

According to Ogundare, their areas of focus are water reticulation, giving clean water to people, waste utilisation, among others. He added that their particular interest in the state was triggered by the state government's openness to engaging with them.

"Covid-19 affected everyone terribly world wide and we targeted places to make donation of medical equipment to and Akwa Ibom state topped the list of the select places. It is the first place in Nigeria that we are doing this", he added.

Ogundare further commended the state government for being a model in health care delivery as shown in the management of Covid-19, and promised continuous support for more feats in the sector.

Earlier in his remark, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Augustine Umoh had, while appreciating the donors, stressed that the equipments donated will contribute to improving healthcare delivery in the state.

He noted that the donation was particularly significant because the donors did not make random choices of the equipments to donate, but based on needs assessment, as they had first approached the state government with their intention and available funds, while the government made the choices.

"They came to us and told us the funds they had to support us and requested to know the needs we had. So what we have gotten are indeed what we need. In other words, the end users were properly mainstreamed in the donation process", he added.

Taking delivery of the medical equipment on behalf of the Governor, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem restated the Governor's resolve to provide quality healthcare delivery to the people of the state.

Ekuwem thanked the donors for partnering the State Government in the area of healthcare development, and assured that the equipment donated will be judiciously utilized for the benefit of the society.

Twenty two medical equipment were handed over to the state government including: Aesthetic Machine 9100 NXT and Monitor, Blood Gas Analyzer Epoc, Infusion pump 600, Syringe Pump 500, Oxygen Concentrator Model, Compact 525, X-ray Film view dim, Complete Personal Protective Equipment- PPE, Infant incubator, radiant warmer among many others.