UMTH: SCI donate equipment worth #52m to boast childcare in Borno

UMTH: SCI donate equipment worth #52m to boast childcare in Borno

By: Omirin Joshua

International Non-governmental, Save the Children has donated life-saving equipment worth #52 million to the management of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) in view to boost service delivery and reduce the high rate of child mortality and newborn deaths. 

Save the Children’s Deputy Director of Program and Operations, Team Lead Borno Area Office, Tadicha Chachu disclosed during handing over of items to the UMTH management in Maiduguri.

He noted that, based on the assessments carried out by Save the Children in Borno State, in the aftermath of the Boko Haram insurgency, there are critical gaps in terms of care for the sick and the newborn, not only at UMTH but also in other hospitals within the state.

“We have decided to come with this first support in terms of the equipment gap with the facility. We started with primarily healthcare facilities, and later we moved to secondary health facilities and we are now supporting the tertiary facility.

“Save the Children has been in Maiduguri since 2014. We are working in some primary health care centres and communities in our effort to support the state and also address the negative consequences of the insurgency,” he added.

Also, speaking to the Save the Children’s Head Technical Advisor in Nigeria, Dr Abdulkadir Abdulrauf said that the gesture is part of ensuring no child dies from preventable causes.

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According to him, the equipment will support the government’s strategy in terms of prevention and early identification of danger signs in childhood and ensure quality care for the sick and newborns and also for pediatric cases generally.

He explained that the equipment worth #52 million included; 1 Neonatal ventilator, 2 neonatal incubators for infants, 4 Continous Positive airway pressure CPAP, 250 solutes chambers, 4 phototherapy lamps, 40 thermometers, and infrared, and 40 electronic weighing scales, 30 stethoscopes amongst others.

“We have a couple of further supports, including capacity building, tools in support of data management, and quality improvement interventions, so that the facility will be able to serve the community well,” he said.

Receiving the equipment, the Chief Medical Director of UMTH, Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo, thanked the donor and explained that Borno State is experiencing under-5 mortality, especially neonatal mortality and morbidity.

Head of the Pediatric Department UMTH and Medical College of the University of Maiduguri, Professor Ya’uba Muhammad Sa’ad, expressed gratitude to Save the Children for the gesture, assuring that the equipment would enhance maternal and child healthcare in Borno State and the entire North-East region.

“Looking at the fact that we are in the insurgency front area, the equipment came at the right time because we have been looking for this equipment for a very long time. It will go a long way to address some challenges and reduce childhood mortality and morbidity drastically. We urge you to do more.” He added.

UMTH: SCI donate equipment worth #52m to boast childcare in Borno