Eleven fully equipped Haemodialysis Centres donated to qualifying public hospitals across the country by the MTN Foundation, the corporate social investment vehicle of Nigeria’s leading telecommunications company, MTN, are ready for commissioning. The Haemodialysis Centres, which boast of state-of-the-art facilities, are being provided for the 11 public hospitals under the MTN Foundation Medical Support Project, introduced last year to assist in providing critical infrastructure in public hospitals across the country. “We are extremely delighted to announce that the MTNF Haemodialysis Centres will be commissioned beginning from this month and subsequently handed over to the managements of the various hospitals in quick succession”declared Mr. Wale Goodluck, Director MTN Foundation, and Corporate Services Executive of MTN Nigeria.

“We are starting with the MTNF Haemodialysis Centre in General Hospital, Onitsha on July 14, 2010. We want to  assure many of the citizenry who are suffering from kidney disease across Nigeria that in a matter of months the 11 centres will be commissioned and thrown open for public use,”said Goodluck.

The 11 beneficiary hospitals include General Hospital, Alimosho, Lagos; General Hospital, Onitsha, Anambra State; Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, Imo State; Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Benue State; Federal Medical Centre, Yola, Adamawa State; University of Ado Ekiti Teaching Hospital, Ekiti State; Braitwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital, Port Harcourt, Rivers State; General Hospital, Calabar, Cross River State; General Hospital, Yauri, Kebbi State; Specialist Hospital, Sokoto.

MTNF, Goodluck said, had observed that over the years, kidney problems appear to have become increasingly prevalent across Nigeria.  According to him, “the Foundation’s intervention was born out of a need to contribute to mitigating the incidence and mortality of heart-related diseases in the country.” Goodluck added that the 11 public hospitals were selected in a thorough and transparent selection process hinged on clearly defined qualitative and quantitative criteria last year.

 Each beneficiary hospital  has been  provided with two haemodialysis machines, electronically powered dialysis beds, 12 months supply of dialysis consumables, a water treatment unit, a water pre-treatment unit, a bore-hole facility, back-up power for the dialysis machines, back-up power for both the water treatment units and the water pre-treatment unit, a 27 KVA generating set and air conditioning units.

Under the same MTN Foundation Medical Support Project, the Foundation is also providing mammography centres in another six public hospitals across the country to enable the womenfolk screen for breast cancer. Mr. Goodluck said the mammography centres will equally be commissioned for public use as soon as the installation process is concluded