NNPC Deploys Funds For Medical Infrastructure Across Nigeria – Official

NNPC Deploys Funds For Medical Infrastructure Across Nigeria – Official

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said it has set aside 53 per cent of the N21 billion it pledged for medical intervention for the construction of medical infrastructure across Nigeria.

It had earlier pledged N21 billion to help combat COVID-19 and improve on healthcare delivery in the country.

According to a Thursday statement by the corporation’s spokesperson, Kennie Obateru, the construction of medical facilities will be across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

“Ground-breaking ceremonies for the construction of 200-bed Infectious Diseases Hospitals with in-situ laboratory had already been held in Bayelsa, Borno and Katsina states with that of the other locations to follow suit,” the official said.

Mr Obateru said the Group Managing Director of the corporation, Mele Kyari, who leads the intervention, said 14 medical centres and two Intensive Care Units (ICU) expansion and upgrade would be delivered across the federation as part of the intervention initiative.

The group’s governance committee also allocated 26 per cent of the funds to the deployment of ”logistics and in-patient support systems” and 21 per cent of the sum to the provision of medical consumables across the country.

The committee comprises of the managing directors of oil companies and other industry players.

“All the initiatives by the respective stakeholders form part of their usual corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme/commitments,” the official said.

He said medical consumables and logistic support ”have been delivered to 20 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), while other states would soon receive theirs”.

The report said medical consumables comprise respirators, protective suits and test kits as well as logistics and in-patient support systems among which are ambulances, ventilators and beddings and laboratory equipment.

States that have received these are: Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Borno, Delta, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kwara, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Sokoto, Plateau and Rivers State as well as the FCT.

He said the intervention is ”driven with a clear governance structure of the various coalescing companies involved in the initiative”

“The initiative is to support the ongoing federal government’s efforts and in collaboration with the presidential task force and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to curb the pandemic,” Mr Obateru