*Helping communities meet SDGs on healthcare
The NNPC/ Chevron Nigeria Limited Joint Venture has donated modern medical equipment worth millions of Naira to the Oporoza and Tsekelewu Cottage hospitals in Egbema-Gbaramatu kingdoms as well as the Government hospital in Ogidigben. The Egbema Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation (EGCDF) received the items for the Oporoza and Tsekelewu cottage hospitals while the Itsekiri Regional Development Committee (IRDC) received the ones for the Ogidigben Cottage hospital.
At the handover of the equipment, the Commissioner for Health, Delta State, Dr Ononye Mordi, who was represented by Managing Director, Central Hospital, Warri, Dr Patrick Omu, said the government was happy to always partner with people and corporately-responsible companies like Chevron. He promised that the state would ensure that the equipment are well maintained and used for the healthcare of the target communities.
General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, CNL, Mr. Esimaje Brikinn, explained that the donated equipment and pharmaceutical products are designed to be part of his company’s contributions to help the benefitting communities meet United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) on healthcare. “We believe that our business success is tied to the progress and prosperity of the people we collaborate with and the communities where we work. Everywhere we work, we demonstrate ethical, environmentally responsible, safe and respectful business practices. We also contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. As we would say, we are in the business of driving human progress,” he said.
Director General – Delta State Contributory Health Commission, Dr Ben Nkechika, commended Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) for the donation adding that it would help the cottage hospitals in Oporoza and Tsekelewu to provide more qualitative Medicare to the benefitting communities and also provide support for the Delta State Governments’ initiatives to bring affordable healthcare services to indigent people and the rural communities.
Receiving the items on behalf of the communities, chairman of EGCDF, Joseph Wuruyai, and Public Relations Officer (PRO) of IRDC, Moses Fregene, who stood in for the chairman, thanked Chevron, the state government and other stakeholders for the donations and genuine passion for the well-being of the people. They promised to ensure a judicious use of the healthcare equipment.
The medical items donated for use at the cottage hospitals include: wheel-chairs, ultrasound scanners, nebulisers, oxygen cylinder with trolley, stethoscopes, genotype machine, patient monitors and binoculars microscope. Others include pediatric UV light system, baby incubators, auto urine analyser, laboratory incubators, Manual Suction Machine, Electric Suction Machine, Mercurial Sphygmomanometer and Genotype machine, electronic scale for children/adult among others.
The donation event attracted several community influencers as well as stakeholders in the medical field. These included Dr Dolor Otovie Owens, Medical Director, Ogidigben Cottage Hospital; Odigie Hellen, Zonal Chief Nursing Officer, Warri; Dr Emeka Eze the MD, Toronto Hospital group and managers of the Cottage Hospitals in Oporoza and Tsekelewu,; Douglas Ibigo, Emmanuel Emeribe and Kayode Adeboye all of CNL; Prince Moses Fregene, PRO IRDC; Emmanuel Adu, treasurer IRDC and EGCDF General Secretary, Joseph Abilo, among others.
