Wife of Vice President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo performing the groundbreaking. With is Vice Admirsl AZ Gambo, CNS and NOWA President, Hajia Aisha Nana Gambo
The Nigerian Navy through the Naval Officer’s Wives Association (NOWA) has commenced construction of 200 bed capacity hospital set to cost the sum of #15billion in Abuja.
According to the National President of NOWA Hajia (Mrs) Nana Aisha Gambo the hospital which will be the first of it’s kind in Nigeria, is the biggest project to be embarked upon since inception of NOWA adding that it is a direct intervention in support of Navy operations.
“Indeed,the uncomfortable state of health of a reasonable population of Nigerian women and children are known to us all of us” she said.
Quoting UNICEF statistics, she said Nigeria contributes 10 per cent of global deaths among pregnant mothers representing a maternal mortality rate of 576 deaths per one hundred thousand live births which is the fourth highest in the world.
UNICEF also suggests that 262,000 babies die at birth in Nigeria annually which is the second highest national figure in the world.
“Because we are involved, it is not surprising that we are losing our women and children daily due to inadequate medical care and particularly insufficient mother and child hospitals.
“NOWA members decided to take our destinies and those of our future generations into consideration by coming up with this specialized women and children hospital.
“The hospital with an estimated cost of 15 billion naira will be sited on 2.1 hectares of land in Galadimawa district of Abuja and it is expected to commence operations in the second quarter of 2023” Aisha Gambo added.
“The hospital will employ telemedicine, leveraging virtual telehealth options between patients and healthcare practitioners. This will provide avenues to engage local and international health care practitioners physically and remotely to cater for long distance health care delivery to individuals and their families” she said.
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The Minister of FCT Muhammad Musa Bello represented by the Mandate secretary FCT health and human services Dr. Abubakar Tafida said the project will provide succour to women and children in the city.
He noted that with the rising rate at which Abuja is becoming one of the most rapid growing city in the world, the FCT is hard pressed for medical facilities especially as it concerns women and children.
The wife of the President Mrs Aisha Buhari represented by wife of the vice president Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo commended NOWA for the initiative noting that the project when completed would help cater for the health care needs of women and children in Nigeria.
She added that the statistics on health care needs particularly as it relates to women and children has revealed a need for urgent intervention.
“Nigeria grapples with a growing population amid dwindling resources to revamp health care need in Nigeria. This project key’s into Mr president’s desire to ensure that every Nigerian receive necessary medicare especially women and children in the face of dwindling resources.
“FG will continue to intervene to ensure quality health delivery which it has demonstrated with the revatilisation of primary health center in the country”, she said.
In her remarks, wife of Chief of Defence Staff and DEPOWA President, Bsrr. Vickie Anwuli Irabor expressed her excitement that “this facility will directly compliment the overall objectives of DEPOWA which is Uniting our Voices First and our collaborative effort to improve the lives of women and children in the military community”.
“It is laudable that the NOWA President has towed the line of modernization and ingenuity with the SMART model of the facility, as it will no doubt take hospital service delivery up a notch and serve as a new benchmark for healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
“I am glad that this facility has taken into account, the mental health of Women and Children by creating a green environment, a key element in the mental healing process”, she added.
Some of the dignataries present at the occasion include the minister of Defence,Major Gen Bashir Magashi (rtd), Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo and Pricipal Staff Office s, NAOWA President, Mrs Salamatu Faruk Yahaya and NAFOWA President, Mrs. Amao.
