I am pleased to be here today on the occasion of the formal launch of this very modern Eye Hospital. It is a health care facility the likes of which the country needs.
2. The Chanrai family businesses are not new in Nigeria. They are one of the pioneer trading companies from overseas to invest and be part of the Nigerian social and economic development process from the early days of Nigeria’s independence.
3. Today, apart from trading, this group is also engaged in industrial manufacturing, with plants in various parts of the country engaging in processing, adding value and contributing to Nigerian industrial development.
4. The vision of the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation is “to build a healthy Nigeria”. Since its inception, the Foundation has been instrumental in implementing several projects related to Primary Health Care, Eye Care and Safe drinking water, throughout the country.
5. I am glad to note, in the last two decades, as part of its Mission for Vision, the Foundation has established, managed and implemented several Eye programs in conjunction with willing State Governments across Nigeria.
6. I am very pleased to note their contribution to check and prevent avoidable blindness by restoring the vision of more than 120,000 Nigerians, free of charge. These services will now be enhanced with this state of the art hospital in the heart of Nigeria.
7. The PHC programs have been implemented in Oyo, Osun, Kaduna, Adamawa and Cross River states. Currently, I understand, these programs are running in Kaduna and Adamawa states, while other programs have been handed over to their respective state governments.
8. Let me say again that I am very pleased to recognize the tremendous efforts and sacrifice of all concerned in the provision of such quality primary health care available, accessible and affordable to more than 3 million citizens.
9. In addition, I am informed that the foundation is engaged in rehabilitation of boreholes program across Nigeria, covering 32 states. So far, they have rehabilitated more than 7000 boreholes providing safe drinking water to more than 3 Million Nigerians.
10. In this state of the art facility that we are commissioning today, we have a new, very modern Eye Hospital of international standards; equipped with modern diagnostic equipment, able to deploy modern technology and aided by experience and skills of qualified medical staff, otherwise not readily available in our country and not affordable to the majority.
11. While thanking the Chanrai family and the Foundation for contributing so generously to the health and wellbeing of the Nigerian people, I am delighted to declare this Hospital open for service.
God Bless you and our country Nigeria.
