A U.S.-based nonprofit, Foundation for Sustainable Community Development Initiative (FSCDI), is sending a shipment of donated medical equipment to Jos, Nigeria, to improve its health service delivery.

The fairly-used facilities, valued at 70,000 U.S. dollars (about N26 million), included ultrasound machines, dental tables, defibrillators, incubators, and cribs.

The equipment donated by Elmhurst Hospital Centre (EHC), New York, is heading to Jos, Plateau, according to Mr George Onuorah, founder of FSCDI.

Onuorah, who hails from Anambra, told the Newsmen, in New York that the gesture was inspired by healthcare needs in Jos, his birthplace.

“I was born and raised in the city of Jos, where public hospitals are facing a dearth of medical equipment, and I have always thought about how to help.

“I visited Jos in December through January, during which I paid a courtesy visit to the Plateau State Commissioner for Health, Mr. Nimkong Ndam.

“The commissioner outlined some of the healthcare challenges facing the state, and I promised to help through the foundation,” he stated.

Onuorah said the gesture was a product of a longstanding relationship between FSCDI and EHC aimed at assisting needy communities in the U.S and Africa.

He expressed gratitude to the hospital and other FSCDI’s sponsors and partners for their commitment to sustainable community development.

Mr. George Leconte, EHC’s Senior Associate Executive Director of Ancillary Services, said he hoped the equipment would provide needed health relief and save lives in Nigeria.

“We get a lot of donations from individuals and organizations, and as a result, we have items here that we no longer use, but are needed elsewhere.

“So, we should be able to help. Why throw things out when someone else can use them? Donating them is a humane thing to do,” Leconte said.

Newsmen reports that the shipment is expected to arrive in Nigeria by the end of August, according to the shipper, Ms. Maureen Lynch.