From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) worth millions of naira to the management of the National Hospital, Abuja, to enable it respond to the menace of COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.
Revealing that the donation was made possible through its welfare arm, Latter-Day Saints Charity, the church said the gesture was part of its activities to reach out to the society with kindness and interventions.
According to Alaribe Obinna, Stake President for Abuja Nigeria Lugbe Stake, who represented Area Authority Seventy of the church, Elder Christian Chigbundu, “this was part of the responsibilities of the church to assist the poor and the needy. Church members do engage in wilful donations among themselves to reach out to the poor.”
He said the church has a department that is responsible for taking note of the needs of the people.
“They visit communities to get their feelings and demands, and base on available resources, they intervene after necessary things have been done,” he said.
Director of Public Affairs, Ikpe George Nkanang, in his remarks, said the church has engaged in several humanitarian interventions, reaching out to millions of people with food and other items.
He said: “Our desire is to cushion the effects of the COVID-19. In this case, we donated 210,000 pieces of face masks and 28,000 pieces of medical gown. We hope it will go a long way in helping the health workers.
“Between 2018 and 2020, over $20 million was spent by the church on charity across different locations in Nigeria. We renovated hospitals, schools and procured food stuff, wheelchairs and several other items for those who are in need of them.”
Tayo Haastrup, who received the items on behalf of the hospital management, thanked the church for the intervention and said the items would be used judiciously for the service of humanity.
He said: “We are happy for this kind intervention. We still have a few COVID-19 patients in the hospital. We have treated about 100 patients. Regrettably, we lost 10 to 12 of them due to underlying illnesses.
“This donation will really assist us respond to COVID-19. Face mask is for all health workers but medical gown is for those working in isolation centres.”
He urged other philanthropic individuals and corporations to emulate the footsteps of the church and offer kind assistance in whatever way they can to the government to respond to health and other related issues.