Save the Children donates N52m life-saving devices to UMTH, Borno

In an effort to reduce the high rate of child mortality and newborn deaths in Borno, Save the Children has donated life-saving devices worth N52 million to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).

Speaking at UMTH in Maiduguri on Thursday, the Save the Children’s Head Technical Advisor in Nigeria, Dr Abdulkadir Abdulrauf, stated that the gesture is part of ensuring no child dies from preventable causes.

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.

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.

“We have decided to come with this first support in terms of the equipment gap with the facility.

Subsequently, 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.”

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

Receiving the equipment, the Chief Medical Director of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo, explained that Borno State is experiencing under-5 mortality, especially neonatal mortality and morbidity.

Represented by the pediatric head of department UMTH and Medical College of the University of Maiduguri, Professor Ya’uba Muhammad Sa’ad, he applauded Save the Children for the gesture, assuring that the equipment would enhance maternal and child healthcare in Borno State and the North-East in general.

“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.

Now that they have brought it, we are going to make use of it to reduce childhood mortality and morbidity drastically.”

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