Dr Onyaye Kunle-Olowu, Chief Medical Director, Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri, said Total Exploration and Production had donated baby care unit valued N203 million to the hospital.

Kunle-Olowu, who made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Okolobiri near Yenagoa on Sunday, added that it would help to reduce infant mortality by about 40 per cent in the State.

The chief medical director said that the facility comprised wards, beds, baby incubators and others.

According to her, the donation of the facility by the oil firm had also helped Bayelsa to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on maternal mortality reduction.

She said that premature babies now stood higher chances of survival with the use of the state-of-the-art facility.

“Bayelsa is committed to the attainment of the MDGs in 2015 and the well-equipped special care baby unit with trained personnel is key to the reduction of infant mortality.

“It is important to note that the facility will take care of neo-natal mortality which accounts for 40 per cent of the infant mortality rate in Bayelsa”, Kunle-Olowu said.

She added that the hospital was grateful for the construction and equipping of the unit with a dedicated laboratory and mothers’ room.

The chief medical director pointed out that Total had also donated ambulances to the hospital in the past, commending it for the gesture and urging others to emulate it. (NAN)