NOVA Merchant Bank Limited has sponsored a Pediatric Surgical Intervention for 50 indigent children in Lagos State, South-West, Nigeria.
Gatekeepers News reports that this was as part of NOVA’s 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) program, specifically within its UPLIFT initiative project.
The initiative, which was conducted in partnership with the Association of Paediatric Surgeons of Nigeria (APSON), positively impacted 50 indigent child patients at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) on Monday, September 18, 2023.
APSON is the umbrella body of all Paediatric Surgeons in Nigeria engaged in the treatment of surgical issues in children, the education and training of specialists in Pediatric surgery, and the enhancement and preservation of the high standards and quality of surgical care provided to children.
This collaboration exemplifies NOVA’s unwavering commitment to community development and its dedication to impacting lives through its UPLIFT Initiative projects aimed at creating “Today’s solution for tomorrow’s sustainability (UPLIFT).”
Managing Director of NOVA Merchant Bank, Nath Ude, while speaking on the motivation behind the bank’s intervention said, “NOVA envisions a future in which millions of people have free or low-cost access to healthcare and where unnecessary pain caused by preventable illnesses and untimely fatalities can be mitigated. This intervention is a stride towards achieving this vision.”
While adding that, “No child should be deprived of their promising future due to a lack of healthcare accessibility” Ude said the impact of this project will echo through lifetimes to come.
On his part, the President of APSON, Professor Roland Osuoji, said, “In the past year, Lagos state heavily subsidized paediatric operations for children between the ages 0-12 which have resulted in a growing waiting list, stretching until 2025.”
Osuoji added that “This initiative not only reduces the backlog but also saves lives and offers hope to these deserving families.
The Local Organizing Committee Chairman of the medical outreach, Dr Omolara Williams, while commenting on the patient selection process, said, “We surveyed our group of patients from our database and pinpointed those who were on the waiting list due to financial constraints. We made every effort to contact as many of them as possible, and as a result, we now have patients ranging from 1 to 14 years old who will receive treatment for their pediatric conditions through this intervention.”
Williams further emphasized the need for continued regional and national initiatives like this to bridge the gap in paediatric surgical care accessibility.
The LASUTH Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof Adetokunbo Fabamwo, while expressing appreciation for NOVA’s intervention said, “This collaboration reflects a shared vision of a healthier and brighter future for children in Nigeria.”
Fabamwo noted that this meaningful impact is not just mending bodies but also building dreams.
NOVA Merchant Bank Limited is an investment grade-rated merchant bank in Nigeria, offering an integrated suite of financial solutions encompassing Financial Intermediation, Wholesale and Investment Banking, Asset and Securities Management, Trade Services, Cash Management, Transaction, and Digital Banking.
