The NaijAid Uk, a Nigerian UK-based charity organisation, in collaboration with the Lead Nurse Africa, on Monday donated some hospital equipment to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos (NOHIL).
The items estimated to worth millions of Naira include: Electric beds, Carriers/Walking practice small size, Lifting machine, Labouring bed, Trolling, POP Shoe/MC Walker, Syringes , Temperature indicators, Catheter Syringe Tip and Intersurgical complete respiratory systems.
NaijAid UK is a London, England registered charity, with the philosophy to help preserve the health system in Nigeria through the training of medical professionals and donation of equipment to hospitals.
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Mr Kayode Nehan, NaijAid UK representative, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the organisation decided to look into charity for medical equipment in Nigeria based on the level of medical equipment operations in Nigeria.
“Whenever you get to a hospital , there will be cases of no beds, no drugs and some medical accessories that are supposed to be in place and are not in place.
“So, we now partnered with the UK government and some private organisations in the UK to actually seek how to send medical equipment to Nigeria.
“These are equipment that have been used in the UK but have been well maintained and are still in good order.
He said: “ We expect that whatever we give out to hospitals will be used adequately as subsequently, representatives might come around to see the usage of the equipment that had been donated.
“And, if they are not well used, the encouragement to request for more equipment from the governments in the UK or the private organisations that had given us may not be there,’’ he said.
Receiving the items, on behalf of the management of NOHIL, Dr Olatunji Idowu, the Head of Clinical Services at NOHIL, told NAN that the healthcare financing in Nigeria had been low and partnership was needed as government could not fund everything.
“So anything we can get from an individual or an organisation is highly welcomed; and of course, you can never have enough in an hospital setting.
“There are some items for this particular organisation , that we have sent as requirements through email today, and we are looking forward to the bringing some of them.
“We will be highly grateful if they do but the ones they have been brought will be immediately deployed to useful areas in the hospital.
“The challenges are many but consumables, things we need on daily basis, such as changing bed sheets, bedding, diapers are in very high demand.”
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He also called for increased funding for the health care system, especially as the WHO had recommended that governments should allocate a certain percentage of its budget to healthcare.
Also speaking, Mrs Obiageli Oguariri, the Deputy Director of Nursing Services in charge of Clinical Education Information Technical and Research (CERIT), NOHIL, commended the NaijAid UK.
She said: “The trends in Medicine are not static, they are dynamic; so, the use of equipment should be upgraded at frequent intervals.
“Sometimes, you find us still making use of whatever we can make use of because we do not have the most recent or the most ideal.
“So, if donations come from any angle to update and equip us, we will be happy.
“We are appreciative of what has been given us but we still need more because of the volume of patients that comes in as well as our commitment to quality and professional health care delivery,’’ she said. (NAN)
