Sterling Bank, NHEA Recognise Nigeria’s Healthcare Champions

Sterling Bank Plc said it has given special recognition awards to healthcare providers who played leading roles in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The awards were given to selected recipients at the eighth annual Nigeria Healthcare Excellence Awards (NHEA) held in Lagos. NHEA is an initiative of Global Health Projects and Resources in collaboration with Anadach Group of the United States of America. It is a yearly event where individuals and organisations are recognized and celebrated for their exceptional contributions to the healthcare sector.

Special recognition awards were given to Medbury Medical Services as the Most Responsive COVID-19 Testing Company of the Year and Seven-UP Bottling Company Plc as the Most Outstanding COVID-19 Consumables Manufacturer of the Year. Other recipients were African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Redeemers University in Ede, Osun State as the Most Outstanding Genomic Laboratory of the Year and Nassarawa State as the Most Outstanding State for COVID-19 Vaccination.

Speaking on the awards with the theme; ‘Innovative Healthcare Services in the Era of Change’, Group head, Health Finance with Sterling Bank, Ibironke Akinmade said the bank recognised and honored the champions of COVID-19 pandemic because of the excellent services they rendered while the pandemic was raging in a bid to spur them to do more.

She said: “Sterling Bank is committed to improving access to healthcare for every Nigerian and our flagship offering – digitisation of State Health Insurance Platform – prefers 360-degree solution to help states bring healthcare to every citizen as well as provide wealth of data to inform policies, planning and strategy, at no initial investment.”

Also speaking, the minister of Health, Professor Ehanire Osagie, commended the organizers of the awards which held post the different variants of the COVID-19 pandemic and the restoration of the economy to normalcy again.

The minister who was represented by managing director of the Federal Medical Centre, Yaba, Lagos, Dr. Adedamola Dada, remarked that the purpose of recognisng and rewarding healthcare professionals that contributed to efficient and quality healthcare services is to foster excellence and sustain the quality, saying “Good healthcare delivery is a key objective of this present administration.”

Chairman of the advisory board of NHEA, Dr. Anthony Omolola said: “over the years, NHEA has continued to strive to deliver new and creative ways to honor excellence across the healthcare space. This year’s is not different at all. At these awards, we are paying attention to those who pioneered innovative healthcare services in the era of change.”

Sterling Bank’s divisional head, Business Growth and Transaction Banking, Mr. Obinna Ukachukwu, observed that the bank recognised the role that NHEA is playing in the health sector by rewarding excellence and promoting positive outcomes in the sector.

The executive secretary of NHEA, Vivian Alkali, expressed the confidence that with Sterling Bank’s partnership and support, subsequent editions of NHEA will meet with greater success.