The National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF) on Thursday donated vital medical equipment to the Onikan Health Centre in Lagos.
Dr Bello Maigari, the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of NLTF, said at the virtual inauguration and handing over of the medical equipment that the essence was to deliver world class medical facilities.
Maigari said the equipment include: Cardio-cography single gestation equipment, Phototherapy machine, Hydraulic delivery beds equipped with monitors, Olympus microscopes, blood banks, among others.
“This is indeed a significant milestone in the history of National Lottery and Gaming in the country.
“This donation is coming at a time this country is facing an unprecedented national emergency in dealing with the scourge of Coronavirus pandemic. It is a welcome development.
“We are confident that our efforts will make all the differences in saving lives by providing high standard of care, not only to vulnerable pregnant women and children, but to other patients.
“The current pandemic, which had ravaged many nation’s across the globe, must not be allowed to resurge again, as a second wave.
“We must rise up to its challenge and stop its spread and overwhelming our fragile healthcare system,” he said.
According to him, the trust fund and the lottery industry will continue to raise more funds for good causes in a socially responsible way.
He said that the NLTF was set up 15 years ago.
Maigari thanked Sen. George Akume, the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, for granting the required approvals for the fund to exercise its statutory mandate.
He, also thanked the Lagos State Government and management of Onikan Health Centre for dedicating resources and time to make the donation a reality.
Akume, represented by Mr Festus Daudu, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, commended the fund for the donation targeted at enhancing healthcare delivery to Nigerians.
The minister encouraged NLTF to extend the laudable gesture to other healthcare centres across the country.
“Today’s event has further re-affirmed my faith in the good leadership of NLTF for providing the required resources to equip and upgrade healthcare centres across the country.
“We are aware of the huge potential of lottery as a wealth generator, and its impact on the growth of the economy and funds generated through lottery has been used to transform the societies.
“We are all aware of the dangers posed by COVID-19, and this is, therefore, a wake up call to all in leadership positions to start working actively and collaboratively in improving our healthcare,” Akume said.
Also, Mr Lanre Gbajabiamila, the Director-General, National Lottery Regulatory Commission, said the donations showed the positive benefit of lottery.
Gbajabiamila said: “Such intervention will encourage stakeholders in the lottery to do more.
“I am happy that Lagos State is a beneficiary of this laudable gesture, and I know this will serve people effectively.
“There is always this misconception about lottery, but today we can see the huge benefit to the society.
“I believe project like this will make stakeholders in lottery to inject more funds to the industry,” he said.
Commenting, Dr Adebayo Aderiye, the Chairman, Lagos State Health Service Commission, thanked NLTF for the donation.
Aderiye said the donation would go a long way to complement the effort of the state government in ensuring effective healthcare service.
“We appreciated the support and effort of the National Lottery Trust Fund to the hospital, and we hope they will do more, because government alone cannot do it all,” he said.
In his remarks, Dr Olubiyi Kufo, Medical Director of the hospital, while thanking NLTF, said the equipment would help the hospital to render better services to the patients.
Kufo said the 60 years old hospital, which offer a wide range of services to people on the Island and some part of Mainland, would put the equipment to use judiciously.
“A total of 190,747 patients visited this hospital in 2019, and on a monthly basis, no fewer than 53 deliveries were recorded in the hospital.
“We sincerely appreciate the fund for this donation, and it will help us to do more in the services we render.
“I also want to thank my predecessor, Dr Olusegun Ogbeye, for facilitating this project before he left the hospital,” he said. (NAN)
