The United States government through its Trade and Development Agency, USTDA has awarded over Three million Dollar grant to the Nigerian health firms.
The donation is to support the expansion of healthcare infrastructure in Nigeria and across Africa.
The grants will also support the development of a comprehensive Cancer treatment centre in Abuja; a feasibility study for a Nigerian private healthcare network that aims to lease, refurbish, and operate 10 additional facilities in various parts of Nigeria; and the expansion of telehealth solutions in Africa, including Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, and Kenya.
At the signing of the agreement with the benefiting firms in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, the Director U.S. Trade and Development Agency, USTDA, Enoh Ebong, said that the US takes priority in the well-being of its partners and allies and would continue to improve on investment and resources, to strengthen the ties.
Ebong said; “I am delighted to be supporting this very important project, really to improve access to primary good health care to Nigerians. We are very proud as a US government agency that can bring tools to help our partners here to implement their priorities. The hope and the promise of what is going to be accomplished are not for us but Nigerians and that is what is critical for USTDA. We have over three million dollars in grant funds that are shared between the three hospitals. The beauty of this is that it stands to unlock financing in many multiples. If we can prepare these projects such that banks whether it’s private or public sector are willing to invest, that’s where the future is.”
According to Ms. Ebong, “The significant for this grant signing is the promise that it holds to provide access to healthcare to Nigerians. That is the bottom line for us and to be able to partner with Nigerian private sector entities who are well experienced, who have been in existence, who understand the context of the need in Nigeria is of primary importance to an agency like USTDA.”
“We connect with partners on the ground, we connect with their priorities and then we bring the best of what the US has to offer. US companies are very interested in investing in Nigeria and as a government agency we want to facilitate that and so we serve the role of bringing parties together, making these partnerships possible and ensure that the project can attract the financing that they would need,” She further explained.
The Chief Executive Officer of Cedarcrest hospital, one of the benefiting firms, Dr. Felix Ogedengbe said the rising cases of Cancer prompted his organisation to begin a comprehensive treatment and care.
He said; “Looking at the availability of cancer care in Nigeria, we have seen that people travel to all countries in the world trying to access basic care services. And that is why we as a hospital group, decided to start a comprehensive cancer treatment centre.
“We’re very delighted at this milestone and opportunity to be able to start the process of developing a comprehensive cancer treatment centre. We are aware that ventures that are supported by the USDA bring a lot of mileage, we are very certain that once this grant is signed and once the visibility is done, in the next say six to 12 months or more, we will be well on the way to making sure that the Comprehensive Cancer Treatment Center comes to Abuja.”
The Chief Executive Officer of MobiHealth, Dr Fumi Adewara, said the grant would enable them to carry out telemedicine effectively.
Dr Adewara said; “As the first in Africa with telemedicine, we have partnered with State and demonstrated the proof of concept on how telemedicine can help not just those who have digital skills but those in the remote areas who have no access to healthcare, who don’t have doctors, how do will support them in getting health care that they need, so with the grant, we have established telehealth clinic across six states, we are now scaling that solution. This can be very helpful in primary health centres and community health centres. Where there are no centres we support the nurses on the ground so that there is a Doctor remotely helping to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients.
“So what we are doing now, the grant from USTDA is coming at the right time when we are looking to scale our solution across Africa. What the USTDA is doing is very fundamental because is going to help us to o visibility of those countries that are mentioned and then scale our solution across those places.”
Still, on the development, Dr Austine Okogo of the Lily hospital said; “Some of the hospitals were no longer functional some of the owners are either dead or old and cannot handle the hospital properly, so we thought of revamping and putting life to them, to help the owners. Also taking over the hospitals will enable us grant job opportunities for people in such communities to increase the LGDP of the cities that have these hospitals, and partnering with the USTDA, will enable us to partner with other US companies for supplies and support in technology; so this is a win-win strategy.”
Dr Okogosaid; “Since the inception of the USDTA, 30 years ago, over 70 projects were executed in Nigeria by the agency. And it is my hope that by 2025, Nigerians would be served ultimately when the project is implemented.”
Mercy Chukwudiebere
