By ABDULLAHI SHUGABA

The Group Managing Director (GMD), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari, on Saturday laid the foundation for the construction of a 200-bed Emergency and Infectious Disease Hospital in Kaita, Katsina State.

The hospital, being built at the cost of N21 billion, would provide services to patients in the North West zone.

It is one of the 12 hospitals being constructed by the NNPC across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

Kyari explained that the project, being executed by the NNPC, Total and other oil and Gas companies operating in the country, would be completed in 18 months.

The GMD explained that the N21 billon to be expended on the project would be for construction of the hospital, provision of medical facilities, logistics and support to patients.

“The initiative is meant to strengthen the country’s national healthcare delivery facilities in combating the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic.

“Katsina State is among the 12 states selected for this humanitarian project for the fight against COVID-19 and other infectious diseases for generation yet unborn.

“We are doing this kind of project in 12 states in the six geopolitical zones of the country and these projects were practically funded by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the NNPC,” he said.

Kyari stated that that in addition to the project, NNPC had donated one Toyota ambulance, 10,000 pieces of face masks and full set of ventilator kits to the Katsina State Government to support its ongoing war against COVID-19.

Earlier, Katsina State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu, said the construction of the infectious disease hospital would complement the effort of the state government in providing quality healthcare services to the people.

Yakubu thanked the NNPC for the intervention and prayed that the project would be completed on schedule. (NAN)