The Shell Petroleum Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), on Thursday, formally inaugurated the Oloibiri Health Campus and other facilities under the final phase of its Oloibiri Health Programme at the Oloibiri community in the Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The final phase of the project include, the Oloibiri Health Campus at Oloibiri town; the Drug Distribution Centre at Emeyal 2; a 400metre Oloibiri access road to the health campus; and the Ogbia Safe Maternal and Infant Care Programme.
The Managing Director of the SPDC and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Osagie Okunbor, explained in his address that the OHP would promote health coverage and strengthen health systems in the Ogbia LGA.
He stated that the initiative would enhance social determinants of health which would result in improved health indicators of communities within the area to meet the Sustainable Development Goals standards as set by the United Nations.
Okunbor said the OHP would also institutionalise and share lessons learnt for replication and country-wide adoption through the establishment of a knowledge management centre.
According to him, “Tracing other successes of OHP since 2016 shows that three of the facilities in the OHP network – Oloibiri Health for Life Centre; the General Hospital, Kolo, and the Emeyal Drug Store, operate an Electronic Medical Records System which captures real-time data and facilitates seamless access to services by community members at any of the hospitals within the network.
“Service delivery in the General Hospital, Kolo, has seen significant increase in utilisation from average of 833 patients in 2017 to about 4,015 patients in 2021. Last year alone, 147 of Ogbia health care workers were trained in maternal and child health care, health management information systems, among others.”
Okunbor while thanking the Bayelsa State government, Ogbia council, chiefs and the people of the community and other development partners for their co-operation, said Shell shares a momentous tie with Oloibiri community where the oil firm made the first find of hydrocarbons in 1958, and was desirous to leave impactful memories.
An elder of Oloibiri community, Tonye Aworabhi, earlier in an address of welcome, had expressed gratitude to Shell for the health facility, saying it would improve access to the people’s health care needs.
In their goodwill messages, World Bank’s Senior Health Specialist, Dr Olumide Okunola, and the Chair, Board of Directors, OHP LTD/GTE, Prof. Dimie Ogoina, said the formal inauguration of the health facility marked a significant milestone in the OHP’s journey to fulfill its vision.
They further noted that Ogbia was on its way to becoming the first local government area in Nigeria to achieve Universal Health Coverage in the country, stressing that the approach taken by SPDC in collaboration with other organisations was worthy of emulation by other private sector operators desirous of supporting Nigeria and state governments to realise their UHC ambitions.
The Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, while officially inaugurating the health facility, commended Shell for investing in the health, educational and social development of the Ogbia LGA in particular and the state in general.
