The NNPC Limited has strengthened healthcare delivery in the South-East with the donation and commissioning of a state-of-the-art 1.5 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State.
The intervention, carried out through the NNPC Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the company, is expected to improve access to advanced diagnostic imaging services for millions of residents across Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi states, as well as neighbouring Delta State.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd., Andy Odeh, the project involved the delivery, installation, calibration, testing and commissioning of the MRI system alongside supporting infrastructure designed to ensure efficient and uninterrupted operation of the facility.
The supporting infrastructure includes RF shielding systems, chillers, backup UPS systems, electrical installations, specialised imaging accessories, ventilation systems, CCTV and oxygen monitoring systems, intercom communication facilities and other patient-comfort technologies.
Before the intervention, patients requiring advanced MRI diagnostic services often faced long waiting periods, high costs and the burden of travelling considerable distances to access functional imaging centres.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony held on Friday at the Igwe Orizu ICT Centre, NAUTH Permanent Site, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., Bashir Bayo Ojulari, represented by the Managing Director of NNPC Foundation Ltd./Gte, Emmanuella Arukwe, described the intervention as a strategic investment in healthcare access and improved patient outcomes.
“The installation of the MRI in NAUTH exemplifies our commitment as our intent is to build enduring institutions, sustainable systems and legacies. This intervention aligns with our conviction that access to quality healthcare underpins human dignity, longevity and economic productivity,” he said.
Ojulari added that the company’s social investments remain critical in strengthening the relationship between NNPC’s core mandate and the expectations of Nigerians.
Representing the Governor of Anambra State, Charles Soludo, the Commissioner for Health, Afam Obidike, commended the NNPC Foundation for the intervention, noting that the MRI facility would improve safe and accurate diagnosis and treatment for patients across the South-East region.
Also speaking, the Executive Vice President, Business Services, NNPC Ltd., Sophia Mbakwe, represented by the Chief Supply Chain Officer, Isokariari Telema, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to social investments aimed at improving the lives of Nigerians.
“In over forty years of its existence, NNPC has stayed the course in impacting lives positively across Nigeria through infrastructural development, social amenities, educational sponsorships and other initiatives that underscore our values of integrity, excellence and sustainability,” she said.
The Chief Medical Director of NAUTH, Joseph Ugboaja, praised NNPC Ltd. for recognising the importance of healthcare to national development and pledged that the hospital would maximise the facility for public benefit.
“For too long, patients in our catchment area have had to travel long distances to access this level of diagnostic precision, often at prohibitive costs. With this installation, we will eliminate that burden,” Ugboaja said.
He added that the intervention demonstrated that corporate social responsibility could serve as “a lifeline” for critical public institutions.
