…as resident doctor wins ₦1m training scholarship
The Seyi Tinubu Drug Bank Initiative has been launched at the National Hospital in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), bringing pharmaceutical support to the hospital’s Pediatrics, Obstetrics, and Gynecology departments.
The initiative, funded by Mr. Seyi Tinubu, aims to significantly contribute to combating maternal and child mortality in Nigeria.
Since its inception in August 2024, the Seyi Tinubu Drug Bank Initiative has been rolled out in six tertiary hospitals across the country, with plans to expand to more institutions, including secondary and primary health care facilities in the coming months.
At the launch at the National Hospital leg of the initiative on Monday, which coincided with Tinubu’s birthday, drug banks valued in millions of naira to provide free essential medicines were donated to indigent pregnant women and children.
The initiative, according to Seyi Tinubu, is part of a broader nationwide maternal and child health intervention designed to complement the Federal Government’s efforts to reduce Nigeria’s alarming rates of maternal and infant mortality.
Represented at the launch event by Pharm. Ojeje Amin Onimisi, Tinubu emphasised that the initiative is driven by his compassion for vulnerable populations, particularly women and children, and his desire to see Nigeria’s global maternal and child health indicators improve significantly.
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“This project is aimed at complementing the government’s efforts to ensure that Nigeria’s maternal and child mortality rates drop significantly. Our goal is to make sure no woman or child dies due to lack of access to basic medicines,” he said.
Providing further insight into the program, Dr. Ayodele Cole Benson, the National Coordinator of the Seyi Tinubu Maternal and Child Healthcare Intervention Projects, explained that 60 tertiary hospitals have been identified for the initiative.
“This program aims to establish drug banks in key hospital units, providing free medicines and delivery materials for indigent patients.
“We are also working on deploying Point-of-Care Ultrasound equipment to labour wards and antenatal clinics, supported by training to ensure effective usage,” Dr. Benson noted.
He added that the selection of the National Hospital Abuja as an early beneficiary was due to its outstanding performance and commitment to quality care, aligning with the initiative’s broader vision to meet and potentially surpass Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) on maternal and child health by 2030.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the hospital, Dr. Isiaka Olayinka Lawal, who represented the Chief Medical Director, Prof. Muhammad Mahmud, expressed appreciation for the gesture and assured that the hospital would ensure the proper implementation of the program to achieve its intended impact.
“We are grateful for this timely intervention and pledge to ensure that the drug bank serves the intended beneficiaries, our mothers and children in need,” Dr. Lawal said.
The highlight of the launch was the award of the Seyi Tinubu Residency Training Scholarship of ₦1 million to an outstanding senior registrar at the hospital, Dr. Ibrahim Fatima.
The award, like the previous ones, was meant to support her registration for her final residency examinations in acknowledgement of her hard work and dedication.