The Federal Government on Monday inaugurated the first National Trauma Centre to cater for severely injured patients.
President Goodluck Jonathan, who was
represented at the inauguration by Vice President Namadi Sambo, said his
administration was committed to providing world-class healthcare
services to Nigerians.
“Providing modern healthcare
infrastructure such as this Trauma Centre and others is a cardinal
objective of our Transformation Agenda, as prioritised under the
National Strategic Health Development Plan,” he said.
Speaking on the outbreak of the Ebola
virus, the President appealed to Nigerians not to panic and to take the
highest possible care in hygiene by adhering to the guidelines issued by
the Ministry of Health.
He said, “We have put measures and
facilities in place for detection and management of Ebola and we are
working in concert with the international community to stem its spread.
We must remain at high alert.”
The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi
Chukwu, said the centre was one of many projects contained in the
Federal Government’s strategic plan; which he said was aimed at
providing efficient, cost effective and timely healthcare services to
Nigerians.
He said the centre would handle all
forms of trauma, whether from falls, fires, accidents, natural or
man-made disasters, including terrorist activities.
Chairman of the National Hospital Board,
Dr. Tony Okam, said that the centre remained the first of its kind in
the country and that it had been equippe with the state-of-the-art
healthcare facilities, well trained personnel and a helipad.
