By Gilbert Ekugbe
The Lagos University Teaching Hospital has urged the private sector and other stakeholders to increase their support for the healthcare sector, saying government alone cannot meet all the needs of public health institutions.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee of LUTH, Prof. Oluwole Ayodeji, made the call while receiving a donation of electrical appliances, home equipment and educational materials from Deekay Group of Companies, in partnership with the Aksara Foundation, for the Association of Resident Doctors of the hospital.
Ayodeji said partnerships with private organisations, non-governmental organisations, religious bodies and individuals were essential to complement government efforts in improving healthcare delivery.
“Government cannot meet all the needs alone,” he said.
He explained that support from other stakeholders could enable public healthcare institutions to address specific gaps while allowing government resources to be deployed to other critical areas.
The LUTH official said the donation was particularly important because the items would be used in call duty rooms occupied by resident doctors who often spend long hours in the hospital attending to patients and responding to emergencies.
He stressed that improving the welfare of healthcare workers could boost their morale and productivity.
“Motivation is a good thing. Motivation can be financial; it can be welfare. This is welfare,” Ayodeji said.
The donated items included tubular batteries, inverter equipment, a television set, a refrigerator and educational materials.
According to Ayodeji, the appliances would provide resident doctors on call with basic conveniences, including facilities for keeping and warming meals while continuing to attend to patients.
He also highlighted the role of philanthropy and private-sector interventions in the development of healthcare infrastructure at LUTH.
Ayodeji recalled that support from individuals and organisations had contributed to the development of specialised facilities at the hospital, including a renal facility with 32 dialysis beds.
He urged Deekay Group and the Aksara Foundation to sustain their partnership with LUTH, noting that the hospital remained open to collaborations that could contribute to improved healthcare delivery.
“We appreciate every little token. It’s not only about giving; it’s about sharing ideas,” he said.
He assured the donors that the hospital would ensure that the donated items were properly utilised for their intended purposes.
Speaking during the presentation, a representative of Deekay Group of Companies, Ejiofor Doris, said the company’s corporate social responsibility programme was focused on identifying specific needs and providing targeted interventions.
She said the company adopted a three-stage approach to its CSR activities — identifying areas of need, providing appropriate support and monitoring the impact of its interventions.
“We assess, then we donate, and then we monitor,” Ejiofor said.
She explained that the monitoring process was designed to ensure that resources committed to CSR projects were properly utilised and that beneficiaries continued to benefit from the interventions.
Ejiofor said Deekay Group had supported various sectors over the years, particularly healthcare, education and community development.
According to her, the company had provided computers and other learning materials to government-owned schools, awarded scholarships to disadvantaged students and supported vulnerable groups and communities where it operates.
She said the LUTH intervention was significant because it represented the company’s first CSR initiative specifically targeted at a medical team.
Ejiofor said the company intended to sustain its engagement with the healthcare sector, stressing that medical personnel required an enabling environment to effectively discharge their duties.
The inverter equipment and batteries are expected to help address basic power challenges in the resident doctors’ call duty rooms, while the refrigerator and television are intended to improve the welfare and convenience of doctors who spend extended periods within the hospital.
The donation highlights the importance of public-private partnerships in addressing resource gaps in Nigeria’s healthcare system and improving the working conditions of medical personnel.
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