Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has reiterated his administration’s readiness to partner with local and international organisations in the health sector, stressing that collaboration is key to complementing government’s massive investments in healthcare delivery across the state.
The governor made the appeal during the official launch of free hospital equipment and medical supplies donated to the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUTH) by the Shola Agboola Goodwill Ambassador (SAGA) Foundation.
The donation, worth over ₦430 million, includes hospital beds, consumables, theatre tables, mattresses, diagnostic machines, scanners, and ultrasound machines, among other essential medical tools.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, Mbah noted that his administration had embarked on a holistic overhaul of the state’s healthcare system. According to him, 260 Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres are currently being built across all wards in the state, with several already completed, while general and cottage hospitals are also undergoing major facelifts.
He further disclosed that Enugu’s two teaching hospitals have been expanded and upgraded, while the state’s flagship 300-bed Quaternary International Hospital, designed to attract medical tourism, is nearing completion.
> “The government has set out plans to bring in state-of-the-art facilities and equipment for these first-grade healthcare centres. However, there is room for more collaboration and support to ensure Enugu becomes a medical hub not only for residents but for Nigerians at large,” Mbah said.
Commending the SAGA Foundation, the governor expressed gratitude for the donation, urging other foundations, corporate organisations, and philanthropists to partner with the state in bridging existing healthcare gaps.
Founder of SAGA Foundation, Dr. Shola Agboola, said his drive to support healthcare stemmed from losing his father to tetanus in an ill-equipped facility at age 13. He noted that the foundation has, in its 10 years of existence, donated equipment to more than 10 states in Nigeria and three other African countries.
Also speaking, the State Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, hailed Governor Mbah’s efforts in leveraging global partnerships to transform the health sector. He assured that the new equipment would be distributed to areas of greatest need across general and teaching hospitals.
Ugwu added that the ongoing retooling of all health facilities in the state creates opportunities for more collaborations, stressing that every donated facility would be put to judicious use.
