The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire on Saturday commended Airtel Nigeria for renovating and remodelling Ward-A Block of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

Ehanire commended the telecoms operator during the inauguration of Airtel LUTH project at the Teaching Hospital in Idi-Araba, Lagos.

The minister noted that the Airtel project tallied with President Muhammadu Buhari’s next level modernisation agenda for teaching hospitals to improve quality of care for Nigerians.

“Since the beginning of this administration, much investment has gone into our tertiary level centres including LUTH, directly or in partnership.

“At this point, I will like to extend the appreciation of Government to Airtel Nigeria for this excellent project, which, I am sure further increases the capacity of LUTH to deliver on its performance objectives.

“Airtel Nigeria also walked each step of the COVID-19 journey partnering with LUTH, a partnership which also saw the company donated 81 telephone lines to the hospital’s Psychosocial and Emotional Support Group,’’ he said.

Ehanire said government alone could not fund healthcare in any country, saying that it was necessary to urge more private sector investments in the Nigerian healthcare sector.

He said that with more investments, skilled and dedicated manpower from the private sector, the sky was the limit on the quest to improve the quality of care in Nigeria.

The minister said as endowed as LUTH presently seemed, there was room for value addition in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility or investments that would upgrade existing facilities.

Others include bridging infrastructure gaps and introducing cutting edge equipment and technology.

“I invite national and multinational investors to examine the opportunities in Nigerian healthcare to find areas that promise handsome returns,” he said.

The minister urged the management and staff of the hospital to put the ward to good use and keep it well maintained to justify the generousity of Airtel to LUTH.

The Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof. Chris Bode, also lauded the telecoms operator for its support toward the hospital.

Bode said Airtel Nigeria had walked every step of the COVID-19 journey in partnership with LUTH.

He said in recent years, all the wards became run down and they had barely rehabilitated Block B two years ago when they had to surrender it for use as COVID-Isolation Centre 18 months ago.

“At the height of the first wave of the pandemic outbreak in Lagos about May, June 2020, the fear of a possible upsurge requiring more bed-space for admissions was real.

“Airtel Nigeria rose to the occasion, offering to help LUTH rehabilitate Block A to operationalise another 111-bed capacity at a cost of over N200 million.

“The telcom stripped the building from rooftop to floor-base and replaced its plumbing and all. Our gratitude goes to Airtel Nigeria for this far-sighted good deed,” he said.

The Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Chemmenkotil Surendran was delighted with the project.

He said: “I am delighted to be here to witness the commissioning of the renovated WARD-A Block of one of the most prestigious and important tertiary health institutions in West Africa, LUTH’’.

Surendran said the ward Airtel renovated and equipped with connectivity technologies was inaugurated 58 years ago under the directive of the Federal Government and today marked a momentous occasion in the hospital’s history.

“At Airtel, we keep our words and promises. We believe that we are a major stakeholder in Nigeria and we have a duty and responsibility to impacting the various communities we serve positively.

“It is our hope that this facility will further smoothen the delivery of healthcare services in Nigeria and help foster healthcare inclusion, especially among those who are in the lower rung of society,” Surendran said.