Lagos — UBA Foundation, the corporate social platform of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to the development of Nigeria's health sector especially in the area of improving and contributing to the reduction of infant mortality rate in the country.
The UBA Foundation recently donated incubators to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu and Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano, as part of the campaign by the Foundation to give as many premature babies as possible a chance of living through the donation of modern Incubators to teaching hospitals across the country.
Managing Director/CEO of the Foundation, Ijeoma Aso said that UBA places high priority to the health sector and that the donation to the hospitals was in fulfillment of the foundation's key objective of improving the lives and well being of the communities where UBA has presence.
The donation of the Incubators, she said, "is an ongoing project of the foundation with more teaching hospitals across the country lined up to benefit from the gesture."
Speaking at separate presentation ceremonies held in Enugu and Kano, chief medical directors (CMDs) of both institutions respectively described UBA Foundation's donation as a laudable and innovative gesture.
''Some of our old Incubators in the hospital were purchased as far back as 1972, which is 41 years ago, even some of our consultants here were not born then. So you can see why we are very grateful to UBA for this wonderful gesture" said Obinna Onodugo, the acting Medical Director of UNTH, Enugu, while receiving the Incubators.
He commended UBA for the kind gesture, noting that this would go a long way in increasing the survival chances of babies born with health challenges requiring the use of Incubators.
His counterpart at AKTH, Professor Aminu Zakari Mohammed, described the donation as timely and would go a long way in reducing infant mortality in the country. "We assure UBA that this gesture will be well utilized as we have a culture of maintaining our equipment" he said.
The Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee AKTH, Dr. Mohammed Sani Mijinyawa in his brief remarks said that the donation of incubators to the teaching hospital is the first of its kind by any corporate body or financial institution while the Director Administration, Alhaji Mohammed Suleiman said that this gesture will outlive the bank as whoever helps save a life, has helped save humanity.
The head of department of Pediatrics, UNTH, Ifeoma Emodi, a Professor, expressed appreciation to the bank emphasizing that the donation would help in fostering a mutually beneficial relationship between the hospital and the bank.
Casmir Molokwu, Regional Bank Head, Enugu, UBA Plc, who led the delegation to the UNTH Enugu, emphasized UBA's commitment to doing business in a sustainable way by supporting the communities where it operates.
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Similarly, Directorate Head, Far North Bank, Abubakar Bello, who said that he has been a beneficiary of the AKTH's expertise in managing the health of his twin babies at infancy through the Special Care Baby Unit of the hospital, noted that UBA understands clearly what it means to partner and support health institutions across the country including AKTH. He said the bank will continue to partner and support AKTH in any way possible.
The highlight of the visit was when the UBA delegation was taken round the 'new born units' to see some of newborn premature babies whose lives depend on the incubators. With the new incubators donated by UBA foundation, many more of the babies born "premature" now have a higher chance of survival.
UBA Foundation is the corporate Social Responsibility arm of UBA meeting special needs of various communities where it operates across Africa by giving back to society in the area of Education, Health, Environment and Economic Empowerment.
