Shell donates medical centre to Ogun community

Trains over 200 health workers

The Ogun State Government and leaders of Ogijo community in Sagamu Local Government Area have described the 20-bed ultramodern medical centre donated to it, as a model of primary healthcare facility worthy of replication across the state.

Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, who took delivery of the facility in a virtual ceremony, last week, said the donation was timely, coming at a time that the state was struggling with the dearth of facilities to manage the increasing cases of infection of the novel coronavirus.

He added that the state government alone cannot bear the burden of public healthcare delivery.

The medical centre, with doctors’ quarters, alternative power system, water treatment plant and a medical ambulance was built, equipped and furnished by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), in partnership with SNEPCo’s co-venture partners.

“We’re very appreciative of NNPC and SNEPCo. This medical centre could not have come at a better time as it will go a long way in strengthening the state’s primary healthcare delivery system,” said Coker.

According to him, NNPC and SNEPCo had supported Ogun State for more than eight years during which the companies trained over 200 state health workers. “With this state-of-the-art medical centre, I am sure that the people of Ogijo would have the qualitative, affordable and accessible healthcare that the governor promised all the citizens of Ogun State.”

The traditional head of Ogijo, Oba Kazeem Gbadamosi, said the facility was not just pride for Ogijo, but for Ogun State. “This is the best of its kind in Ogun State, and we’re so excited to have this delivered to our community by NNPC and SNEPCo.”

Managing Director of SNEPCo, Bayo Ojulari, who handed over the facility to the state government, explained that its social investment policy is focused on health and education, adding that SNEPCo would continue to strengthen its relationship with governments across Nigeria for better healthcare and education systems.
 
“Our health intervention programmes have been delivered in many states, and our secondary school and university scholarships have continued to grow.

With the support of NNPC and our co-venture partners, we will not relent.”

The General Manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), an NNPC subsidiary, Bala Wunti, who was represented by NNPC’s General Manager, Services, Yahaya Yunusa, charged the state and Ogijo community to provide effective management of the facility in a manner that will provide the required healthcare services to the people.

“Sustainability should be paramount in the management system to ensure that the facility serves the purpose for which it is meant,” he said.

The facility was the second of its type donated by SNEPCo in recent times. The company had recently rehabilitated and equipped the Casualty and Trauma sections of the General Hospital Odan, Marina in Lagos State with state-of-the-art medical emergency equipment, and also donated fully-equipped custom-made ambulances for easy access to different parts of the state.