The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has provided five state-of-the-art ambulances to Rivers State government-owned health facilities in Ogoniland to improve response to medical emergencies.
The beneficiary facilities are Bori Zonal Hospital, Terabor General Hospital, Eleme General Hospital, Bodo General Hospital, and Kpite Primary Health Care Centre.
Speaking during the handover ceremony at Eleme General Hospital, Ogale, the HYPREP Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, said the intervention aligns with recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which underscore the need to address public health challenges alongside environmental remediation in Ogoniland.
Zabbey noted that environmental restoration must go hand in hand with strengthened healthcare systems, stressing that the ambulances will enhance emergency response, patient referrals, and access to life-saving care across Eleme, Tai, Gokana and Khana local government areas.
He highlighted ongoing health-related interventions by HYPREP, including public health studies conducted with the World Health Organization, construction of a 100-bed Ogoni Specialist Hospital and a 42-bed cottage hospital, medical outreaches, facility upgrades, and installation of solar power systems in selected health centres.
According to him, the project has also equipped several Ogoni hospitals with critical medical infrastructure such as X-ray systems, digital ultrasound machines, laboratory analysers, theatre equipment, and surgical instruments to ensure safe and efficient healthcare delivery.
Zabbey said the donation reflects HYPREP’s commitment to partnership and collaboration, noting that the project is accelerating cleanup efforts while implementing complementary development initiatives recommended by UNEP.
Receiving the ambulances, the Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Adaeze Oreh, commended HYPREP for adopting a holistic approach to hydrocarbon pollution remediation that prioritises human health and wellbeing.
She said the ambulances would strengthen referral systems and help ensure timely transfer of patients from primary facilities to centres where specialised care is available, assuring that the state government would continue to collaborate with HYPREP on health and public health initiatives.
Also speaking, a representative of Renaissance Africa Energy Company, Mr. Ehize Ebinomo, described the ambulances as lifelines for vulnerable communities and reaffirmed support for the full implementation of the UNEP environmental assessment report.
Blessing Ibunge
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