By Oke Peter
To reinforce their commitment to the advancement of healthcare services in Nigeria, Egbin Power Plc and Sahara Group Foundation have donated a fully-equipped Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to the General Hospital Ijede, Lagos.
The newly built 5-bed ICU will further increase capacity for critical patient care and advance emergency response capabilities in Lagos State.
While commissioning the facility, Egbin Power and Sahara Group Foundation emphasized that the initiative underscores their commitment to promoting access to quality critical healthcare services, in line with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 which aims to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for people of all ages.”
Speaking during the handover ceremony, the CEO of Egbin Power, Mokhtar Bounour, emphasized that the donation was a testament to the company’s enduring commitment to the development of the host communities, noting that the ICU would significantly enhance the hospital’s capacity to provide critical care to those who need it most.
“At Egbin Power Plc, we believe that the strength of a community is reflected in the well-being of its people. As one of the largest power generation companies in Nigeria, we have always been committed to not only powering homes and industries but also to empowering lives. The impact of this donation will be far-reaching, improving emergency response, and strengthening overall healthcare delivery in the state.
“To the healthcare professionals who will be working in this ICU, we entrust this facility into your capable hands. Your dedication and expertise are the bedrock of the healthcare system. We are confident that you will provide exceptional care and restore hope to countless patients and their families.
“Our commitment to community development does not end here. At Egbin Power Plc, we will continue to seek out opportunities to contribute meaningfully to the society in which we operate. Whether through health, education, or environmental sustainability initiatives, our mission is to make a positive impact that resonates for generations to come,” Bounour said.
Director of Governance and Sustainability, Sahara Group Foundation, Ejiro Gray, noted that hitherto, access to critical healthcare services was not easily accessible to patients in the community due to the distance of the available ICU, thereby causing several avoidable losses of lives.
She said: “We don’t have a lot of this facility in Lagos State, and even in Nigeria. One can only imagine how many lives that must have been lost because we didn’t have this sort of facility for critical cases. The time and logistics it took to get critically ill patients to a healthcare facility that has an ICU was a challenge.
“We took a step further in establishing the ICU facility, equipping it with quality infrastructure and equipment to create a fully-fledged ICU in this part of the state. This has therefore brought critical care services closer to the people,” she explained.
Gray further reaffirmed the commitment of both Sahara Group Foundation and Egbin Power to fostering sustainability and building a resilient future.
Acting Chief Medical Director, General Hospital Ijede, Dr. Olumuyiwa Balogun-Oluwa, commended the collaboration of Sahara Group Foundation and Egbin Power Plc which gave birth to the donation of the ICU, noting the facility will serve people in Ikorodu community and Lagos State at large.
He said: “General Hospital Ijede has moved to the next level of healthcare, a level occupied by not many general hospitals in the state, that is, a hospital with an ICU. We are grateful to Sahara Group Foundation and Egbin Power.
“The commissioning today is a further step towards fulfilling the vision statement which is to be one of the best hospitals in the environment, and I believe we are very close to achieving it. The facility will be primarily used for the benefit of the Ikorodu community and Lagos State in general. We intend to get all our staff prepared and trained for the commencement of work,” Dr. Balogun-Oluwa explained.
Dignitaries at the occasion included Commissioner II, Lagos State Health Service Commission, Dr. Mobolaji Olukoya; Director, Medical Services, Lagos State Health Service Commission, Dr. Adegbite Olawale; Director of Nursing Services, Lagos State Health Service Commission, Dr. Adebukola Cole; Medical Director, General Hospital Ikorodu, Dr. Taiwo Hassan; Medical Director, General Hospital Agbowa, Dr. Femi Aletan and immediate past Chief Medical Director, General Hospital Ijede, Dr. Abimbola Okudero.
Others were Baale of Ipakan, High Chief Mustapha Lasisi; Prince Yussuf Bello, representing Egbin Kingdom as well as the Community Liaison Officers representing Ijede.
Among the Personal Corporate Social Responsibility (PCSR) programmes carried out by Egbin Power to promote quality health for residents in the host communities include, the 3-day annual medical outreach designed to cover cardiovascular, arthritis, dental and diabetes screening. The participants at the medical outreach are provided free quality medications after careful examinations by qualified medical practitioners.
In addition to this, Egbin supplies free uninterrupted electricity to General Hospital Ijede, delivers free hospital-grade oxygen to hospitals within Ikorodu, and quarterly donates medications that are administered free of charge to patients.
These series of interventions highlight the company’s efforts to bolster healthcare infrastructure in the communities, thereby contributing to the attainment of SDG 3.
