The donation is part of TotalEnergies Cooperative Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, which includes allocating funds on an annual basis to support various non-governmental organisations across multiple locations in Nigeria.
This was contained in a press statement made available to The PUNCH by HEI.
The statement reads, “The decision to award HEI this grand prize is a testament to the organisation’s outstanding credibility, impact-driven programs, and unwavering commitment to transparency in all its endeavours.
“The primary objective of this funding is to combat infant mortality, with a particular focus on children aged 0 to five, especially those with non-chronic diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever, meningitis, sepsis, tetanus, malnutrition, pneumonia, jaundice, measles, one-off blood transfusion, and oxygen therapy, etc. The scheme would cover over eight public health facilities, with each beneficiary receiving a maximum of N30,000.00.”
The Executive Director of HEI, Paschal Achunine, thanked the leadership and members of the Cooperative “for their unrelenting support and empathy for the social well-being of underserved communities and vulnerable Nigerians” and expressed optimism that more beneficiaries would be supported in 2023 through the partnership.
The grant would also provide for the donation of two electronic suction machines, an oxygen concentrator, and four dozen chairs for patients at Massey Street Children’s Hospital, Lagos.
On her part, President of TotalEnergies Cooperative, Mrs. Juliet Okene, said, “Recent reports that over 15% of children born in Nigeria do not live to witness their 5th birthday are alarming and potentially constitute an existential threat to upcoming generations.”
She stressed that urgent and broad-based actions are needed by all to address this malady, encouraging other corporate organizations and public-spirited Nigerians to partner with HEI, given its impeccable records over the last seven years.
HEI is a non-profit humanitarian organisation dedicated to providing the poorest members of society with access to urgent and necessary basic healthcare in public hospitals. The organisation primarily serves children with urgent health conditions who require immediate medical attention.