Minister lauds Airtel over LUTH project

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire has commended Airtel Nigeria for renovating and remodelling Ward-A Block of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

Ehanire commended the telecoms operator during the inauguration of Airtel LUTH project at the Teaching Hospital in Idi-Araba, Lagos, over the weekend.

The minister noted that the Airtel project tallied with President Muhammadu Buhari’s next level modernisation agenda for teaching hospitals to improve the quality of care for Nigerians.

“Since the beginning of this administration, much investment has gone into our tertiary level centres including LUTH, directly or in partnership.

“At this point, I will like to extend the appreciation of government to Airtel Nigeria for this excellent project, which, I am sure further increases the capacity of LUTH to deliver on its performance objectives.

“Airtel Nigeria also walked each step of the COVID-19 journey partnering with LUTH, a partnership which also saw the company donated 81 telephone lines to the hospital’s Psychosocial and Emotional Support Group,” he said.

Ehanire said government alone could not fund healthcare in any country, saying that it was necessary to urge more private sector investments in the Nigerian healthcare sector.

The Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Professor Chris Bode, also lauded the telecoms operator for its support toward the hospital.

Bode said Airtel Nigeria had walked every step of the COVID-19 journey in partnership with LUTH.

He said in recent years, all the wards became run down and they had barely rehabilitated Block B two years ago when they had to surrender it for use as COVID-Isolation Centre 18 months ago.

The Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Chemmenkotil Surendran was delighted with the project.

He said: “I am delighted to be here to witness the commissioning of the renovated WARD-A Block of one of the most prestigious and important tertiary health institutions in West Africa, LUTH.”