Pathfinder International, a global non-profit organisation, has partnered with IHS Nigeria, a subsidiary of IHS Towers, to provide ten refurbished generators to Primary Health Care facilities in Borno state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja.
The recipient centres were selected by the governments of Borno state and the FCT based on needs.
These generators are expected to support the provision of healthcare services, such as reproductive, maternal and child health services.
Speaking during the handover and signing of partnership between Pathfinder International and IHS Towers, the Country Director Pathfinder International Nigeria Dr. Amina Aminu Dorayi, said due to the intermittent power supply in Nigeria, an alternative power source is needed to keep life support machines and other healthcare tools working to sustain human lives.
She noted that across the country, many primary healthcare centres rely on alternate sources of power supply, adding that in some rural areas, healthcare workers depend on torchlight or light from their mobile phones at night due to less reliable power supply from the national grid.
“Healthcare facilities are life support systems in times of crisis and other healthcare needs”.
“This donation is the latest in Pathfinder International’s efforts at strengthening both community and healthcare systems to deliver high-quality sexual and reproductive health services,” she said.
Dorayi assured of Pathfinder International’s continued work to ensure that those services are responsive to the needs of vulnerable communities, stating that through IHS Nigeria’s support, Pathfinder International is helping healthcare facilities address their current power generation gaps by donating generators to specific institutions.
“This donation is timely as we strive to strengthen the delivery of primary care services across the country, a critical step towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals and Universal Health Coverage,” Dr. Dorayi added.
In his response, Mohamad Darwish, CEO, IHS Nigeria maintained that healthcare is an important component of human life, stressing that to a large extent, it influences the growth and development of local communities.
“At IHS Nigeria, we believe we have a responsibility to support the government of Nigeria and the communities that host our towers.
“We hope this donation will help contribute towards larger efforts to deliver more sustainable healthcare in Nigeria,” he said.
“This is a new dawn for the staff and management of Yerwa Maternal and Child Health facility. The power issue was long overdue, and I want to thank Pathfinder International and IHS Towers for their benevolence. This will improve our work and the quality of care in our facility”.
Also speaking, the Officer-in-Charge, Yerwa Maternal and Child Health Facility, Maiduguri, Borno state Yagana A. Modu, maintained that the corporate sector has a role to ensure that people in communities can access essential health services regardless of where they live.
Also, Ms Martha Dikko, Officer-in-Charge, Dakwa-Dantata PHC, Abuja expressed satisfaction on the donation gesture affirming that the generators have been delivered and installed at the selected healthcare centres.
