The United States (U.S.) government has donated field hospital worth $1.3 million to Nigeria, it was learned on Monday.
The field hospital, which is located at the Federal Medical Centre in Jabi, Abuja, is in aid of Nigeria’s effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The hospital includes four fully equipped, negative pressure isolation facilities with the capacity to house up to 40 patients. It also includes an administrative unit, a 160-kw auxiliary generator, and other support equipment such as beds, subfloors, showers, and lavatories.
U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria Mary Beth Leonard joined the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, to inaugurate the mobile field hospital.
Ambassador Leonard noted that the $1.3 million (USD) field hospital is a testament to the continued partnership between the U.S. and Nigeria.
The facility was donated to the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health by the United States Department of Defence’s U.S. Africa Command, with support from the U.S. Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR).
It was built in the U.S. and manufactured by Alaska Structures, and assembled in Abuja by an all-Nigerian team.
Ambassador Leonard said: “As we celebrate 60 years of U.S.-Nigeria diplomatic relations, and many years of health partnerships, it is deeply satisfying to look back on the many ways we have worked together to improve the health, safety and security of the Nigerian people.”
She added that the U. S. Government would continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Nigeria to achieve its aims and remain committed to helping the country implement effective health efforts and improve its capacity to safely isolate and treat confirmed COVID-19 cases.
She noted that in addition to providing isolation capacity, “Supporting the healthcare workers who are caring for patients at this facility and across the country, is critical to Nigeria’s effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.”
The U.S. had donated more than $488 million in equipment, training, and education to help African countries combat COVID-19, and more than $73 million of those donations have been here in Nigeria. This includes the delivery of 200 ventilators, epidemiological COVID detection surveys, technical assistance, and service plans.
