On Friday, April 10, 2020, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc donated an ambulance vehicle to the Univeristy of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada in the Federal Capital Territory.
The donation was made in response to the rise in recorded cases of Covid-19 in Nigeria, and is part of a larger campaign, with contributions being rolled-out to ramp up hospitals’ capacities. The ambulance serves as a key resource to help the movement of patients to and from the University Hospital, which is the nominated testing, isolation and treatment center of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
The donation was attended by Julius Berger’s Managing Director, Dr. Lars Richter, who handed over the vehicle to the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Bissallah A. Ekele. Dr. Richter stated that the urgent necessity to safeguard and protect the good health and lives of the citizens and residents of Nigeria informed the decision of the company to donate the ambulance to the hospital. In the words of Dr Richter, “…We are that the good health and safety of the lives of the Nigerians and residents matter and must be proactively helped and preserved. In all situations and at all times, Julius Berger places the highest premium on the value of environmental and human safety and the need to actively protect same.” Richter added that Julius Berger would continue to do all within its means to support the government’s effort to overcome the covid-19 threat to the safety of Nigerians.
In response to the good corporate social responsibility initiative by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc as well as to Engr Dr Richter’s remarks at the event in Gwagwalada, the Chief Medical Director of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Professor Bissalah A. Ekele, thanked the company for its timely intervention with the donation of the ambulance which he said was critically needed in the current fight against the corona virus pandemic. According to Professor Ekele, the utility of the ambulance would go even beyond the fight against the covid-19 pandemic which he prayed would end soon. He said “…on behalf of the Minister of Health, I want to say a big thank you to Julius Berger for this show of goodwill without the hospital even writing to you to request for it. It shows your sensitivity to the urgent and critical need of the Nigerian society and its people, particularly at a time like this.”
Julius Berger pledged to continue to respond with direct action to support Federal and State Governments, as well as key public agencies and healthcare providers in their fight to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic and will continue to provide impactful contributions.