– Mopson, Sproxil, others win in other categories
In recognition of their outstanding contributions to pharmaceutical practice and haematology in Nigeria respectively, Prince Adelusi-Adeluyi (OFR) and Professor Olu Akinyanju (OON) were recently honoured with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by the organisers of the annual Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA).
The event, which held at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, on 25 June, attracted several notables in both the medical and the pharmaceutical industries.
Pharmacy icon, Prince Adelusi-Adeluyi, along with Prof. Olu Akinyanju (OON) whose campaign against sickle cell has given succour to many victims in Nigeria, received the highest honour at the event.
Speaking during the presentation ceremony, Prof. Isaac Folorunsho Adewale, minister of health, who was represented by Dr Olufemi Fasanmade, chairman, medical advisory committee, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), explained that though there are challenges facing the sector, health care professionals must continue to encourage themselves and promote good deeds in the society.
“The awardees who happen to be our colleagues and other stakeholders celebrated here today truly deserve the awards. NHEA is a good initiative that deserve encourage from all stakeholders,” he said.
Giving a short remark after receiving his award, Adelusi-Adeluyi noted that “Nigerian health care over the years has always been at the forefront of promoting innovation, teamwork, technological advancement and quality of health care service delivery.”
He therefore called for unity in the sector to ensure its growth and advancement for the benefit of all.
Adelusi-Adeluyi (fondly called Juli by friends and close associates) is the first and only pharmacist in Nigeria to have become a minister of health. Born into a royal family in Ado Ekiti, he was one of the pioneer set of pharmacy students at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU) where he bagged a number of scholarships.
When he floated the first indigenous company on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (Juli PLC), the then military president, Ibrahim Babangida, sent him a letter of commendation.
An alumnus (mni) of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Adelusi-Adeluyi is a former president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN).
Professor Olu Akinyanju, on the other hand, received his medical training at the University of London’s St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School, now the Imperial College School of Science, Technology and Medicine.
Shortly after, he returned to Nigeria and took up a joint appointment in the fields of Medicine and Pathology. This exposed him to many patients with the sickle cell disorder and he proceeded to separate them from the general haematology clinic into a new dedicated sickle cell clinic.
In 1991, he founded the Federation of Sickle Cell Clubs of Nigeria (FESCCON) for mutual support and harmonisation. Five years later, he co-founded the Federation des Association contre la lutte de la depranocytose en Afrique (FALDA), which links the non-governmental sickle cell organisations in 13 West African countries. He is currently advising the WHO on the introduction of sickle cell programming in developing countries.
It would be recalled that the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award of the NHEA were won by the duo of Pharm (Sir) Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director of Pharmanews Limited and Olorogun (Dr) Sonny Kuku, a co-founder of the Eko Hospital.
In other categories of the award for this year, Sproxil Nigeria Limited was honoured as Innovative Healthcare Service Provider of the Year, while Smile360 Dental Specialists won the award for Dental Service Provider of the Year for the second time, having achieved same feat in 2015.
Several other organisations continued their winning streak for the third time, including HealthPlus Pharmacy (Pharmaceutical Retail Outlet of the Year); Reddington Hospital, Lagos (Private Healthcare Provider of the Year); and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, which again bagged the award for Tertiary Healthcare Provider of the Year.
This year’s Outstanding Corporate Social Responsibility Project of the Year award went to the Dangote Foundation for building a state-of-the-art hospital in Kano, amongst other projects; while the Ondo State Trauma and Surgical Centre was announced winner of the award for Outstanding State Healthcare Programme of the Year.
JNC International and Swiss Biostadt Limited won the awards for Biomedical Engineering Service Provider of the Year and Hospital Equipment Marketing Company of the Year respectively
The award for Pharmaceutical Operation Excellence for Manufacturing Companies went to Mopson Pharmaceuticals Ltd., while May and Baker was honoured for the second time for Excellence in Pharmaceutical Research and Development.
Also, Pathcare Laboratories was announced winner of the Private Laboratory Service Provider of the Year award for the third time, while the Special Recognition Award of Service to Humanity was picked up by Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders). Total Health Trust bagged Health Maintenance Organisation of The Year Award.
Moses Braimah, NHEA director of strategy and communication, hailed the award as the Oscar of Nigerian Health sector.
“NHEA has come a long way and as you can see, the 2016 edition has shown far more improvement than the previous two editions in terms of organisation and participation by stakeholders. It can only be better,” he said.
Dr Wale Alabi, organiser of the NHEA Awards, described it as “the highest honours for outstanding excellence in the Nigerian healthcare space.”
Dignitaries at the event included Dr Femi Olugbile, former chief medical director in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH); Pharm. Bukky George, managing director of HealthPlus Group; Dr Anthony Omolola, immediate past national president of Association of General Private Medicine Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN); and Dr Wale Alabi, NHEA’s project director.
Others were Dr Lolu Ojo, former chairman of Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIP); Dr Olaokun Soyinka, Ogun State Commissioner for Health; Pharm. Remi Adeseun, chairman of Rodot Nigeria Limited; and Dr Jide Idris, Lagos State Commissioner for Health.
The NHEA recognises outstanding individuals and organisation for their extraordinary contributions to health care. It is an initiative of Global Health Project and Resources (GHPR), in collaboration with PharmAcess, a group dedicated to inclusive quality health care for people in sub-Sahara Africa. GHPR, on the other hand, is one of West Africa’s leading health care management and consultancy companies, involved in the promotion of health care business in West Africa.
