The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) says it remains committed to the capacity building of health professionals, to render quality and affordable health care service in the Niger Delta.
Mr Igo Weli, Head, Corporate Relations, SPDC, stated this at the ongoing Quality Improvement Training for health care professionals from selected public hospitals on Friday in Yenagoa.
The training involved health care professionals from certain public hospitals in Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers.
The oil firm donated two ambulances and solar powered vaccine freezers to Edagbebiri Cottage Hospital, Rivers, and Otuasega Cottage Hospital, Bayelsa.
The ambulances are equipped with mini-intensive care units.
Weli was represented on the occasion by Mr Amaechi Ijeoma, Corporate Relations Manager (West) SPDC.
He said that the company and its joint venture partners had supported more than 27 public health facilities across the Niger Delta.
Weli stated that the support was in the areas of infrastructure upgrade, health systems strengthening, equipment, supplies and capacity building.
“As a company, SPDC understands the role of quality health care service in improving overall health outcome and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Hence, as part of the organisation’s commitment to its host communities, we started the quality improvement journey across all the supported health facilities,” Weli said.
According to him, health improvement in health care facility requires systemic and continuous actions that lead to measurable improvement, in the degree of which the health care delivered reflected professional knowledge and standards.
Prof. Dimie Ogoina, Chief Medical Director, Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH), stated that the quality improvement scheme at NDUTH had pushed up performance from 24 per cent in 2014 to 57 per cent in 2018.
Ogoina, who is a resource person at the training, said that the teaching hospital was aiming at being the first public hospital to get international certification for quality improvement in Nigeria.
Presenting the ambulances and vaccine storage freezers, Group General Manager of NAPIMS, the investment arm of NNPC Ltd, Mr Bala Wunti, stated that the gesture would bring the benefits of oil exploration to Nigerians.
Wunti was represented at the event by Mrs Bumi Lawson, a Director at NAPIM.
He urged the management of the benefiting health facilities to deploy the items judiciously in a responsible manner.
Responding, Dr Ajoebi Oluwalobi, Permanent Secretary, Bayelsa Ministry of Health, commended the donors for the ongoing support to the health sector.
The permanent secretary appealed for the sustenance of the trend.
More than 60 medical professionals from benefitting public medical facilities from Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers are participating in the training in Yenagoa.
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