The Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja in Kogi State has received a critical medical boost with the donation and installation of a multi-slice CT Scan machine by the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) company, marking a significant milestone in emergency healthcare delivery for Kogi State and surrounding regions.
The machine, delivered along with a backup generator and advanced imaging suite accessories, is expected to drastically reduce mortality rates from trauma and other life-threatening conditions requiring immediate radiological investigation.
Located along major highway corridors linking the North and South of Nigeria, the hospital is the only functional federal tertiary health facility serving thousands of accident victims and critically ill patients daily.
Until this intervention, patients requiring CT scans had to endure long-distance transfers to Abuja, often a two-and-a-half-hour drive—resulting in the loss of lives due to delays in diagnosis and treatment.
For years, the hospital had struggled to acquire a CT Scan machine due to limited budgetary allocations and unsuccessful public-private partnership attempts. The completed CT suite, built to international standards, remained unused until NLNG stepped in with the crucial equipment.
The facilitation of this donation came through the efforts of Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, during her tenure as chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Content.
Inspecting the installation in Lokoja, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan commended the NLNG for the donation, adding that the intervention would help to address the ever increasing health needs of the people of Kogi state and beyond.
With the new machine fully installed, the hospital’s team of five radiologists and five radiographers, one of whom received advanced training in India, are now positioned to deliver high-quality diagnostic services. The hospital management has also instituted a revolving fund for sustainability and committed to ongoing personnel training and equipment maintenance to prevent downtime.
Chief Medical Director, Dr. Olatunde Alabi, described the donation as a long-awaited intervention that will transform patient outcomes.
“This is a game-changer for the hospital, for the state, and for the country. We can now respond swiftly to emergencies, improve patient care, support research, and enhance the training of medical personnel,” he said.
Dr Patricia also expressed appreciation to NLNG for the kind gesture.
“In just two weeks, almost every department has benefited from the CT Scan. Before now we referred patients to Abuja or Ilorin and sadly some died on transit. Your efforts have saved lives,” she added.
On Senator Natasha’s role in facilitating the project, Dr Patricia said, “the Creator of the lives you have touched will continue to protect you. We will always count on your support,” she concluded.
The installation was made possible through a partnership between NLNG and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) under the federal government’s human capital development and institutional strengthening programme.
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