Nigeria LNG (NLNG) Limited Friday began the commissioning of Phase 1 projects in its multi-billion-naira Hospital Support Programme (NLNG HSP) with the opening of a maternity centre at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Gwagwalada.

The Company will also commission new Intensive Care Units (ICUs) at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH) in 2022 as part of the first phase of its HSP program. Six hospitals were selected in the first phase. The NLNG HSP targets 12 hospitals from the six geographical zones in the country.

Other projects in the first phase due for commissioning early 2023 include an Occupational Therapy and Neuromodulation Rehabilitation Centre at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), an Obstetrics & Gynecology Ward at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), and a Neurosurgical & Stroke Centre at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH).

Dignitaries at the event include the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, represented by the Director of Hospital Services, Dr. B.O Alonge; NLNG’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Philip Mshelbila; NLNG’s Deputy Managing Director, Mr Olalekan Ogunleye; UATH Chief Medical Director, Professor Bissallah Ekele; Chairperson, Senate Committee on Women Affairs, Senator Betty Apiafi; Chairman House of Representative Committee on Health, Honourable Yusuf Tanko Sununu; the General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, NLNG, Mr. Andy Odeh, among others.

Commissioning the maternity centre, Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, commended NLNG for the partnership and commitment to raising the level of healthcare delivery in the country. He said NLNG’s contribution of a Modern Maternity and Child Centre to UATH was in line with the principles of universal health coverage. He also called for more partnerships in the sector to fill gaps in healthcare delivery.

Speaking on NLNG’s commitment to Hospital Support Programme, NLNG’s MD, Dr. Philip Mshelbila, said the programme was conceived following the Company’s COVID-19 intervention and its concern over the increasing pressure on the healthcare facilities in the country. He stated that the goal of the project was to boost the tertiary healthcare delivery system in 12 University Teaching Hospitals  in  the 6 geopolitical zones in the country, with attendant impacts on medical research and retention of in-country medical expertise.

“First hand, we have seen how investment in the health sector can change the face of healthcare delivery in Nigeria. We contributed significantly to fighting COVID-19 through the NNPC and other Oil and Gas Industry Partners COVID-19 Intervention Programme by donating numerous intensive care medical equipment to medical facilities across the country. At the Federal Medical Centre Yola, for instance, the equipment came in handy for the successful separation of a set of conjoined twins. This feat brought us at NLNG a lot of satisfaction as we saw the impact that our donation made in the lives of those innocent children and others who would utilise the equipment. We believe we can expand this impact by investing more in facilities across the country,” he said.

He stated further that each facility in the programme was based on the results of needs analyses which were carried out in conjunction with the respective hospitals, to determine NLNG’s intervention area for each of the chosen Teaching Hospitals.

The newly commissioned UATH Maternity Centre consists of a 10-bed delivery suite, a 10-bed post-natal ward, two operating theatres, 10-bed Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU), consulting rooms, doctors and nurses’ rooms, a laboratory, a pharmacy, medical records office, a Close-Circuit Television (CCTV) system, Ultrasound scan room and other administrative offices.

The NLNG HSP is the second part of NLNG’s national Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. The first part was the University Support Programme (USP) for the construction/rehabilitation of modern engineering laboratories, equipped with cutting-edge equipment in six universities which have since been completed.

The other six university teaching hospitals to benefit from the HS Programme in Phase Two in 2023 through 2024 are Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi; Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH); Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi; Federal Medical Centre, Asaba; University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH); and University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) in Rivers State.

NLNG is an incorporated Joint Venture owned by Federal Government of Nigeria, represented by Nigerian National Petroleum  Company (49%), Shell Gas B.V.  (25.6%), TotalEnergies Gaz & Electricite Holdings (15%), and Eni International N.A. N. V. S.àr.l (10.4%).