AS a demonstration of its commitment and strong focus on improving maternal and child care in Nigeria, and providing meaningful solutions based on local needs that will significantly expand access to care, Philips Healthcare Africa has launched a portfolio of affordable clinical solutions for safer births and mother/child care in the Nigerian market including the ClearVue ultrasound range and the Intellivue patient monitors.
The company also announced appointment of a dedicated business development manager to be based in Nigeria to handle, support and drive ongoing collaborations with the local healthcare authorities.
Making the announcement at a strategic roundtable on mother and child care, in Lagos, during the stopover of its third consecutive Cairo to Cape Town road show 2012, Director and District Manager, Philips Healthcare Africa, Mr. Roelof Assies, said Philips is engaging with the Nigerian Government and local stakeholders to understand and support their needs around maternal and infant care.
“Philips has been dedicated to mother and child care for over 40 years. Sustainable and meaningful solutions are needed to tackle the alarming maternal mortality ratio of 630 per 100,000 live births, therefore Philips not only provides equipment but also provides training workshops for local care providers to create well-trained and skilled healthcare professionals.
In Lagos, Philips is hosting a tailor-made clinical training workshop on maternal and prenatal care for healthcare professionals, at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH.
Over two days, Nigerian healthcare workers will be trained on how to accomplish safe childbirths and improve maternal and infant care. The clinical trainings are an essential part of reducing pregnancy-related mortality rates.
“Since 2011, following a public tender, Philips and local partner PPC Ltd are collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Health to improve health care in Nigeria. Philips is providing a broad range of advanced health care technologies throughout the country.
The Gombe Federal Medical Centre was the first in the series of installations receiving the Philips Brilliance CT 16-slice scanner. In addition, Philips has also supplied 8 mammography systems to different Federal Medical Centers. Noting the company’s contribution towards speeding up the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 in Nigeria,
Dr Olumuyiwa Are, Chief Medical Director, Citizens Hospital states “Maternal health has become an important public priority in Nigeria, which makes the training of future healthcare professionals an essential part of reducing pregnancy-related mortality rates.
We appreciate the investment in people, technology and resources that Philips is bringing to Nigeria and its healthcare industry. With Philips’ commitment to clinical training they have proven to be a valuable partner. They understand that it is not enough to simply supply and install equipment; we believe that an ongoing collaboration with Philips will enhance opportunities and improve the quality of care we offer”.
Nigeria is fourth stop on Philips’ Cairo to Cape Town 2012 road show. The main focus is on Mother and Child Care, supporting the MDGs 4 & 5 which aim to reduce child deaths by two-thirds and maternal deaths by threequarters by 2015.
