The NNPC Foundation Limited says it is supporting healthcare facilities to combat rising cardiovascular ailments in the country.
Mrs Emmanuella Arukwe, the Managing Director of the Foundation, said this at a news conference organised by the Nigerian Cardiac Society (NCS) in Port Harcourt on Monday.
Arukwe, who was Represented by Mrs Dominion Eugenia, the Foundation’s Executive Director of Finance, emphasised that heart diseases were becoming a global concern.
She said that the Foundation was taking actionable steps by partnering with NCS to reduce mortality rates in the country.
“Cardiac issues are on the rise in Nigeria, driven partly by increasing rates of depression and health challenges like high blood pressure.
“NCS wants to help Nigerians to mitigate these health challenges but cannot do it alone.
“Hence, NNPC Foundation deemed it necessary to partner with them to save lives, which is part of our mandate,” she said.
Arukwe said that aside from health, the foundation had made various interventions in education, the environment and access to clean energy.
“Established in 2023, the foundation, as the corporate social responsibility arm of NNPC Ltd., aims to utilise the company’s gains to benefit Nigerians.
“We have equipped hospitals and made various interventions to support healthcare providers across the country.
“Our mission focuses on positively impacting the well-being of Nigerians, particularly in rural areas, by addressing critical infrastructure needs and enhancing public health,” Arukwe added.
NCS President, Prof. Augustine Odili, emphasised the importance of collaboration in addressing rising morbidity and mortality rates.
He noted that the society had assembled cardiovascular disease specialists to brainstorm solutions having been concerned about the prevalence of cardiac ailments.
“Hence, we are gathering in Port Harcourt for our annual general meeting and scientific conference themed ‘Socio-Economic Burden of Rising Cardiovascular Disease Profile in Sub-Saharan Africa’.
“We must come together to fight this disease, and we appreciate the NNPC Foundation’s intervention in this national issue,” he said.
Odili also mentioned an upcoming initiative called ‘Bring Back to Life’, aimed at training Nigerians on how to resuscitate individuals during health emergencies.
Prof. Chizindu Alikor, Chief Medical Director of the Rivers State Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), appreciated the Rivers Government’s substantial investments in healthcare.
He said that plans were underway to transform the hospital into the premier cardiac referral center in West Africa by 2026.
“Cardiovascular diseases have been on the rise and are among the leading health concerns in our communities.
“We are undertaking massive infrastructural development and training to achieve our goal of becoming the top referral centre for medical conditions in Nigeria and West Africa,” he said.
Dr Obi Emerone, President of the Cardiovascular Education Foundation in the United States, disclosed that the organisation was collaborating with various partners to combat heath diseases in Nigeria.
Juliet Ucheche, a beneficiary of the free cardiovascular surgery, commended the NNPC Foundation and its partners who bore the cost of his cardiac procedure.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that cardiac operation costs between N20 million and N40 million in some private hospitals. (NAN)
