Power
JAPANESE Government through the Embassy of Japan in Nigeria has installed 51KVA solar power in Poly General Hospital, Asata, in Enugu metropolis.
The 24-hour, uninterrupted solar-power supply, is meant to improve the medical service delivery in the over 1.5 million residents in the area as well as alleviate health burden of the people.
Mr Hiroki Shirai, Head of Development Corporation of Embassy of Japan in Nigeria handed over the project to Enugu State Government on Thursday at the hospital.
He said that the facility was one of the numerous Japanese government’s assistance to the country.
Shirai assured the state government and Nigeria in general of Japan’s commitment to rendering services that would help improve medical service delivery in the country.
He urged the management of the hospital to use the opportunity to deliver 24 hours effective medical services and make more services available to the people.
“I am very happy to see your cooperation in accomplishing the project and this project will re-bridge the relationship between Japan and Nigeria even though the COVID-19 pandemic delayed delivery of the project as scheduled,’’ he said.
Responding, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State expressed gratitude to the Japanese government for coming to the aid of the Enugu State-owned hospital.
Ugwuanyi, represented by Dr Okechukwu Ossai, the Administrator of Enugu State Hospital Management Board, said that the installation of 24/7 solar-power in Poly General Hospital had improved the medical service delivery.
He said: “It is a dream come through. Electricity has been a serious challenge in most of our hospitals; because of power issue, security is a problem and rendering of services is also a problem.
“But with the aid of Japanese Embassy in Nigeria all these challenges have become things of the past in this massively attended hospital.
“I am glad that this is coming immediately after the hospital was given a face lift by the governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who decided to raise the structure and transform it from Poly Clinic to Poly General Hospital.
“The installation of solar-power brought a lot of services that hitherto have not been rendered here, such as ultrasound service.
“The large capacity of solar-power that was installed, which the facilities have not been able to consume, will bring in other facilities that are dependent of constant electricity.
“Such include X-ray machine, blood bank centre and incubator services for premature babies.
“My gratitude to Japanese government but like ‘Oliver Twist’.
“We assure the Japanese government that we will maintain the solar-power facility in order to be able to ask for more support from the good people of Japan.’’
Earlier, Dr Stanley Ilechukwu, Executive Director of South Saharan Social Development Organisation (SSDO), which is the implementing partners of the Japanese Grassroots Grant Project, expressed gratitude to Japanese Government.
Ilechukwu, however, encouraged the hospital management to take appropriate care of the facility and provide other necessary equipment to compliment the medical services needed in the hospital.
“We thank the Japanese Government for considering our application and providing the 51KVA solar-power to Poly General Hospital to power the operations and allow the hospital extend more services to the people.
“The Japanese embassy’s mission is that any intervention it embarks on will reach at least an estimated 500,000 indigenes of Enugu metropolis living in the axis of Enugu where the hospital is located,’’ he said.
NAN
– Apr. 08, 2021 @ 18:51 GMT
Tags: Japanese Govt. installs 51KVA solar-power in Enugu hospital
