Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Monday inaugurated a drug bank for indigent patients at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) in Enugu to support maternal and child healthcare.
The drug bank, located at the Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Paediatrics Pharmacy Unit of the hospital, was established under the Seyi Tinubu Maternal and Child Healthcare Intervention Programme.
Represented by his Personal Assistant, Ojeje Onimisi, Tinubu said the initiative aims to provide free essential medicines to vulnerable groups, particularly pregnant women and children.
“We gather today with hope and compassion to commission the drug bank for indigent paediatrics and pregnant patients,” he said.
“This initiative is a beacon of light for vulnerable lives – our children and expectant mothers.”
He noted that many Nigerian families struggle to access essential medications, a situation that contributes to avoidable deaths among mothers and children.
According to him, the drug bank will provide critical medicines free of charge to those who need them most.
The National Coordinator of the programme, Benson Ayodele, said the intervention forms part of a nationwide philanthropic effort to establish drug banks in about 60 tertiary hospitals across Nigeria.
Ayodele said the programme would supply free medicines and delivery materials to indigent patients in obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatric units.
He added that the initiative was motivated by Nigeria’s high maternal and child mortality rates.
According to him, Nigeria’s infant mortality rate stood at about 54.74 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2023, while the maternal mortality rate was estimated at 1,047 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020.
Ayodele said the scheme is expected to benefit about 10,000 indigent patients monthly across participating hospitals.
As part of the programme’s support for medical training, Ayodele also announced a ₦1 million scholarship grant for Blessing Oguchi, a Senior Registrar in Paediatrics at UNTH, to support her final fellowship examination.
Receiving the items on behalf of the hospital, the Chief Medical Director of UNTH, Obinna Onodugo, described the initiative as timely and impactful.
“It’s a very happy day for us. They chose the right population to start with – the mother and child population,” he said.
Onodugo explained that the hospital had put in place a structured system involving the pharmacy department, paediatric department, nursing division and social workers to identify indigent patients who would benefit from the programme.
He assured that the medicines would not be diverted or sold, but used strictly for the intended beneficiaries.
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