LAGOS
Amid ongoing Covid-19 and Lassa fever infections in Nigeria, MultiChoice Nigeria in collaboration with Health Emergency Initiative (HEI) last week distributed 1,650 Hazmat coverall suits to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute Metta, Lagos.
Hazmat suits are full-body garments form of personal protective equipment (PPE) worn by medical personnel during the treatment of highly infectious diseases as it protects them from hazardous substances.
According to the donors, the gesture was to protect and encourage Nigerian medical personnel in the discharge of their duties.
Speaking shortly after the donation, the executive director of HEI, Paschal Achunine, who noted that the exercise came at the time when the country was losing its medical personnel to other countries of the world, said more of such gestures will in no small measure encourage the few ones that have stayed back.
Noting that his organisation supports accident victims and indigent patients, especially those Nigerians who are unable to pay bills as low as N20, 000, said through the support of MultiChoice Nigeria they will be reaching 15 more hospitals in Lagos with the suits. “We are also involved in providing personal protective equipment, especially when Covid-19 came, for health workers.
He disclosed that the bulk of the PPE, which is about 2,000 pieces, would be given to the Lagos State Ministry of Health, adding that a total of 5,000 pieces of the suits would be distributed before the end of March 2022.
“The distribution is to aid the protection of health workers and enhance the effective management of patients in the hospital. LASUTH received 1,000 pieces of the Hazmat coverall suits, NIMR got 500 and FMC 150 pieces,” he explained.
Speaking, MultiChoice Nigeria Corporate Social Investment Specialist, Akaoma Onyeonoru, recounted that at the start of Covid-19, lives were changed across the world.
Onyeonoru said the pandemic which was the first of its kind in the world informed the organisation’s decision to find a way of alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians and one thing they did was to initiate donation of PPE to hospitals, entertainment bodies, media organisations and frontline workers.
She said between 2020 and 2021, they have distributed 10,000 PPE across Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.
She said their partnership with HEI was based on proven integrity and track records of its work and achievements in Lagos.
Receiving the PPE, the chief medical director, LASUTH, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, expressed satisfaction with the gesture,adding that they have been benefitting from HEI programmes.
He challenged more organisations to assist public hospitals for better treatment outcome and services.
At FMC, Ebute Metta, the director of administration, FMC, Ebute Meta, Harrison Etim, who received the equipment on behalf of the management, said the hospital was always excited when organised private sector comes to partner them.
He said the donations would go a long way to assist indigent patients in terms of medical consumables that would be used in their care.
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