Africa’s largest retail customer bank, Access Bank, has been announced as the ‘Outstanding Healthcare SME-Friendly Bank of the Year’ at the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA) 2019 held recently at the Eko Hotels & Suites, Lagos.
This represents a fourth consecutive win at the event, after winning the same award in 2016, 2017, and also emerged winner of the ‘Outstanding CSR Health Project of the Year’ in 2018.
The annual Nigerian Health Excellence Award is an initiative of the Global Health Project and Resources, in partnership with Anadach Group, United States. The awards recognise and commend institutions that have made laudable contributions towards the growth of the healthcare sector in Nigeria, and focus on improving policy framework for achieving global standards of healthcare while encouraging market leadership and inspirationalperformance in Nigeria.
Receiving the award, Omobolanle Victor- Laniyan, Head, Sustainability at Access Bank said, “Access Bank has an unwavering commitment to significantly improve the healthsector in Nigeria. Therefore, as a Bank, we have studied the health sector and identified inadequate financing as a causal factor for the poor healthcare system in Nigeria.”
This discovery, she maintained, has led the Bank to create products to solve the problem.
“An example is our MHSS product, which provides our customers with the support they need for special medical procedures. We have also formed strategic partnerships withinstitutions such as Medical Credit Fund (MCF), Hygeia and other medical organisations which have enabled us to provide financing to a larger base of health practitioners that our customers can benefit from as well. We are extremely honored to be receiving this award, and on behalf of Access Bank, we say thank you,” she stated.
Corroborating the statement, Ayodele Oloyede, Head, Emerging Businesses, Access Bank said, “Our Bank is notable for being at the forefront of sustainable partnerships for reforms and development of Nigeria. SMEs are one of the key drivers of economic growth by virtue of their contribution to employment and wealth creation, and we also know that good healthcare is important to productivity. This is why Access Bank supports Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises as part of its measures to help boost the Nigerian Economy.”
Through the Maternal Health Service Support, its healthcare financing product, Access Bank has helped over 107 families obtain a range of medical procedures including In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and other specialized procedures as Myomectomy, Bariatric, Dental and Orthopedic procedures. This has led to the birth of more than 58 babies, successful infant bone surgeries, fibroid treatments and other maternal-related procedures.
The Bank remains proud of the impact it has recorded within the health sector, and has promised to continue to intervene at both the service provider level and consumer level, since its funding of these procedures improves the cash flow of the healthcare providers and ensures that customers enjoy healthy living.