The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and IHS Towers, in collaboration with the government of Canada, have donated an Oxygen Gas Plant to Ebonyi State government.
The mega project is domiciled at the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (AE-FETHA 2).
Speaking during the commissioning of the oxygen gas plant, the Deputy Representative, UNICEF Nigeria, Rownak Khan, said that the project reflected a joint commitment between Ebonyi State Government, UNICEF, IHS Towers and the Government of Canada.
She maintained that the commitment was aimed at strengthening healthcare system and ensuring access to life-saving medical oxygen, particularly for the most vulnerable population.
“Today marks a significant milestone in the healthcare landscape of Ebonyi State. As we gather to witness the formal handover of the oxygen Gas Plant to the Ebonyi State Government, on behalf of UNICEF, our esteem donors, the Government of Canada and IHS Towers, I am honored to be part of this historic moment.
“The handover of the Oxygen Gas Plant signifies not just the inauguration of a facility but a commitment to the health and well-being of the people of Ebonyi State. It stands as a testament of the power of collaboration and dedication in addressing critical gasp in healthcare infrastructure,” Khan stated.
She noted that the partnership between UNICEF and the Ebonyi State government showed what can be achieved when organisations come together with a shared vision, adding that the project showed impact of collective efforts.
The UNICEF Nigeria Deputy Representative said that from conducting rapid assessment to training healthcare workers and facilitating the dissemination of national policies, each step has been a building block towards a healthier future for Ebonyi State.
“Central to our mission is the prioritization of maternal and child health interventions, by placing women and children at the forefront of our initiative. We aim to create a future where every mother and child has access to the care they deserves.
“As we look to the future, our focus remains on sustainable access to equitable quality health services which includes, expanding medical Oxygen production, harnessing sustainable power sources such as solar energy and establishing equitable distribution infrastructure.
“These efforts are essential for sustaining the impact of our initiative and ensuring that healthcare remains accessable to all,” she added.
She expressed the confidence that the Oxygen Gas Plant will make a meaningful difference in the lives of countless citizens of Ebonyi State.
Commissioning the project, the governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, represented by the deputy governor, Mrs. Patricia Obila, said that the Oxygen Gas Plant will help to save the lives of several patients at the teaching hospital who do not have access to adequate oxygen.
Mrs. Obila thanked UNICEF for the gesture, insisting that the State Government would pay a regular visit to the plant to monitor its usage and functionality even as she urged the tertiary hospital to make judicious use of the plant.
Responding, the Chief Medical Director, Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Dr. Robinson Onoh, said the oxygen plant has the capacity of producing 6,000 litres of oxygen in a day to the state, and it’s meant to be co-managed with staff and the state government.
“For us, this is what we have been looking for, where we will now have our own oxygen production done by ourselves and UNICEF has come to our help and domiciled this oxygen plant in this hospital.
“We want to assure the world that we have well trained engineers that will man this plant and we will also ensure that oxygen production is done regularly such that patients that come to this hospital can receive oxygen freely and we will in turn save a lot of lives.
“Oxygen is one of the vital things that is needed in human life, for us, UNICEF has given the state and the hospital life. We want to thank UNICEF and also thank the state for the support they have given to this hospital for this oxygen production.
“With this, there won’t be need for us to go to Port Harcourt or anywhere else to get oxygen. With what we have here, we will be producing enough to take care of our patients and other states can even come to get from us.
“I am also requesting that this oxygen plant be solarized because diesel is very expensive and when you work on diesel, the production will be as if you are buying it from other places. But if it is solarized, the cost of production and cost patients will pay for it will also be reduced,” the CMD stated.
