As part of its commitment to supporting healthcare delivery in Rivers State, Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) on January 21 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) for the building of a multi-million naira infectious diseases unit.
NLNG’s managing director/chief executive officer, Philip Mshelbila, was represented at the signing ceremony by the general manager, external relations and sustainable development, Andy Odeh.
Mshelbila stated that the company was seeking to support the development of the tertiary health institution to provide excellent medical care for Rivers State residents while also catering for the training needs of medical students and resident doctors.
He stated further that NLNG was committed to working with partners to transform healthcare delivery in the state, adding that the intervention at RSUTH was a manifestation of the company’s resolve to stand with the people of Rivers State and to reciprocate the goodwill and support to the company over the years.
The RSUTH project is an addition to several projects being executed by the company in the healthcare sector in Rivers State. According to the NLNG, it supports the Bonny Community Health Insurance Programme (BCHIP) to help improve access to quality healthcare services for residents of Bonny Island.
Some progress is being achieved in the Bonny Malaria Eradication Programme, which targets cutting down malaria-related mortality among women and children under five and making Bonny Island Nigeria’s first malaria-free zone. The malaria eradication programme is implemented in collaboration with US Agency for International Development (USAID).
NLNG and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through the US President’s emergency plan for AIDS relief (PEPFAR), are also involved in the HIV/AIDS surge project, which focuses on the control of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) on Bonny Island.
