Chineme Okafor in Abuja
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said it would restructure the operational model of 52 of its medical centres and hospitals across the country to enable them offer paid medical services to third-party beneficiaries.
The corporation said the measure would boost its commitment to expand the offerings of these hospitals in the country’s health sector in line with its attention to profitability in its new business focus.
Inaugurating the board members of the NNPC Medical Services Ltd (NMSL) and the NNPC Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO) Ltd in Abuja, the Group Managing Director of the corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru explained that the recent restructuring of the NNPC meant that its group medical services should form a new venture non-core business entity charged with the responsibility of creating new medical businesses that will generate revenue for the NNPC.
He stated that the corporation’s medical services division has about 52 clinics and hospitals spread across NNPC’s various locations in the country.
According to him, these 52 medical facilities provided medical services only to staff of the corporation and their family members.
He, however, stated that the aim now was to open them up to other oil and gas organisations as well as other interested third party consumers for profitability.
“My vision is to make NNPC a renowned health medical services provider globally. In the nearby future, we are committed to making our medical facilities a reference point for the provision of world-class health medical services in Africa and beyond,” Baru said.
He also charged the new board to provide the necessary direction to raise the standards and offerings of these medical centres.
“It is going to be a new terrain for all of you. You must take advantage of the latest and most efficient technological advancement in healthcare service delivery,” he added.
He also urged the boards to set NNPC’s medical services apart from other operators in the health care industry, as well as collaborate with the best partners to upgrade and stay up in the industry.
Baru further charged the two boards to work with synergy, and avoid possible instances that would demand they compromise on their services and respective independence.
“Your job comes with a lot of responsibility and you must prove yourselves on this critical assignment,” he added.
The statement which was signed by the corporation’s Group General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, also quoted the Chief Operating Officer, Ventures of the NNPC, Dr. Babatunde Adeniran, to have said that with this development, the NNPC would be taking advantage of the new opportunities in the nation’s health sector.
Adeniran, who is also the chairman of the board of the two organisations, stated: “With this development, the existing NNPC hospitals will compete for clients with other top class hospitals in locations where they operate hence quality of service would be improved.”
