By Our Correspondent
Star Deepwater Petroleum Limited (a Chevron Company) and its co-venturers in the Agbami field – Famfa Oil Nigeria Limited, Petro Brassiliero Nigeria Limited, Stat Oil Nigeria Limited and NAPIMS/NNPC have donated a chest clinic to Immanuel General Hospital Eket, Akwa Ibom State.
The chest clinic complex is equipped with a standard X-Ray machine; male and female wards, treatment rooms, laboratories and Gene Xpert Machine.
At the official handover and commissioning of the complex on Thursday September 17, 2015, the Akwa Ibom State governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, commended the donors for their kind support towards the efforts at combating tuberculosis in Nigeria
Represented by Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dominic Ukpong, the governor described tuberculosis as a devastating public health problem that has been responsible for a high level of morbidity and mortality not only in Nigeria but all around the world.
The governor who said that the Chest Clinic would be a turning point in the control and possible elimination of the disease in the state also called on all stakeholders to devise ways of tackling drug resistant strains of tuberculosis to treatment.
“Tuberculosis is a known chronic and debilitating disease responsible for a high level of morbidity and mortality globally. According to a recent national prevalence survey of tuberculosis, Nigeria has the highest prevalence in the African continent and the 3rd highest in the world.
“In Akwa Ibom State, thousands of residents have been diagnosed to have tuberculosis, of which over 90 per cent of cases diagnosed, have been successfully treated using the anti-tuberculosis multi-drug therapy.
In his remarks, Jeffrey Ewing, Chevron’s Director, Deepwater & PSCs stated that the facility was the 25th chest clinic donated to various States in the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja amongst other health projects deployed around the country.
He also informed that Agbami co-venturers have built, equipped and donated 14 electronic libraries to various state schools around Nigeria as well as built, equipped and donated 26 state of the art science laboratory buildings to promote science education.
