Samsung and MTN have combined efforts to donate 500 units of Samsung Galaxy A2 Core Smartphone to the Federal Ministry of Health for data capturing and case reporting of COVID-19.
The ministry stated this in a statement issued by its Director, Information, Media and Public Relations, Olujimi Oyetomi on Tuesday in Abuja.
According the statement, Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, expressed appreciation to the delegation of Samsung and MTN Nigeria led by Adetunji Taiwo, head of Mobile Samsung West Africa for the donation.
The minister also appreciated the contributions made by individuals and organisations through donations of medicines, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the ministry for the containment of COVID-19.
Ehanire said that he sat with his team daily to receive situation reports from every level – States, Local Governments, Treatment Centres to see how to review treatments of COVID-19 patients.
The minister said that part of the challenges they face in doing so was the challenge of communication and data reporting.
He said that the donations by Samsung and MTN of the sets, SIM Cards and data were useful.
“Nigeria is very grateful; we shall make the best use of the items and integrating them to whatever that we have to improve service delivery,” he said.
Ehanire told his visitors and donors that his team was trying to reduce the rate of infection and improve service delivery in order “to keep our fatality rate lower than what we have in other countries”.
According to him, Nigeria has 2.2 per cent fatality rate of COVID-19 while other countries have four and five per cent.
He said: “We hope that we can keep these fatalities lower with adequate messaging and appropriate information dissemination; and of course, the technical aspect of carrying out testing, isolation, treatment, etc; all of these data-driven and getting the entire system working smoother.”
Earlier, Adetunji Taiwo. who read a message on behalf of David Suh, the Managing Director of Samsung West Africa, said the donors were dedicating their resources “to help so that we can emerge stronger together”.
“Let us stay safe,” the statement quoted Suh, as saying.
