Ebola: First Consultant Hospital in Lagos gets N4m

From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

The Honourable Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu has disclosed that First Consultant Hospital in Lagos, where the index case of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) was handled, will be supported with N4 million being part of donations from patriotic Nigerians

Chukwu, at the post-Federal Executive Council press briefing yesterday, in Abuja, announced that the following corporate organizations have made contributions to the Federal Government’s control measures against the disease in Nigeria: Aliko Dangote, N152 m, ANAPT Foundation, N100,000 per-bed space, Tony Elumelu Foundation, N150 m and while Shell Petroleum Limited donated an ambulance.

According to the minister, Aliko Dangote Foundation’s N152 million donation will be directed to sponsor the Ebola Emergency Operation Centre in Lagos, adding that the ANAP Foundation, founded by Mr. Atedo Peterside, had informed him that the Foundation would be supporting affected private hospitals to the tune of N100,000 per bed space.

The foundation assured that the First Consultant Hospital in Lagos, where the index case was managed would be the first beneficiary and that the hospital would receive N4 million since its bed capacity is forty.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation donation of N50 million will still be directed to support the Federal Government’s containment efforts and Shell Petroleum Limited donated ambulance would equally go to the Ebola Emergency Operation Centre in the state.

However, the Minister clarified that the N200 million approved by President Goodluck Jonathan to support the Lagos state government is not part of the N1.9 billion earlier released to the Federal Ministry of Health.

The N200 million is a distinct and direct Federal Government support to Lagos State and does not preclude other assistance that may be rendered to the State through the Federal Ministry of Health.