Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Nigeria Limited, in collaboration with Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Total Petroleum, on Thurday donated medical equipments to Nasarawa State Infectious Diseases Diagnostic and Research Development centre.
Speaking on behalf of the group during the donation in Lafia, General Manager (GM), Business and Government Relations of SPDC, Bashir Bello, said the gesture was to support the state government in the fight against COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
“The state-of-the-arts PCR machine and other equipment are jointly donated by SPDC, NNPC and Total for installation at the centre to help in the response to coronavirus pandemic and other infectious diseases.
“This is a great effort to improving our capacity as a nation to respond to medical emergencies,” Bello said.
He said the donation was necessitated by the unprecedented health challenge that has bedeviled the country and the world.
He said that the PCR was meant for detailed testing for viral infections would help the health facility in combating COVID-19.
Bello pointed out that the gesture was parts of the over N21 billion the industry, led by the NNPC, generated to support and upgrade health institutions in the country towards combating COVID-19 and infectious diseases.
He said the group was also partnering with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to install and train health from the state on how to use the equipments for optimal performance.
Receiving the items on behalf of the state, the Deputy governor, Dr Emmanuel Akabe, appreciated the group for the gesture and promised to make judicious use of the items.
He noted that the equipments would increase the capacity of the state to test more for COVID-19.
Akabe said that the state presently has a machine that could test about 60 samples at a time.
“But, with the donation of the new PCR machine and reagents, we now have the capacity to test 150 samples per time, it means we would collect and test more samples from the state,” he added. (NAN).
