This year’s award is coming on the heels of the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic with the theme ‘Celebrating Nigeria Healthcare Heroes’, and will hold on June 26, 2020.  

There are 28 awards and recognitions that will be presented at the ceremony, which are divided into five main categories: Special Recognition Awards, Special Awards, Healthcare Delivery Services, Biomedical Technology, and Pharmaceuticals. Interestingly, PharmAccess has always been the title sponsor of the ‘SafeCare Facility Award’ category, which is to recognize quality improvement and excellence in service delivery based on its ISQua accredited SafeCare quality standards.

Explaining more about the ‘SafeCare Facility Award’ category, the Country Director, PharmAccess Foundation, Njide Ndili, said it is all about encouraging standardization in healthcare service delivery in the sector that satisfies patients and stakeholders. PharmAccess Foundation is a Dutch-based entrepreneurial organization focused on making health markets work through digital innovations. NHEA is organized by Global Health Project and Resources (GHPR) in collaboration with Anadach Group, USA.

Ndili said: “This award category is to encourage standardization in healthcare service delivery in both public and private sector hospitals towards better health outcomes for patients. “This year alone, over 300 hospitals in Nigeria have been assessed using the SafeCare quality improvement methodology so it is important that healthcare organizations rising up to the challenges of better healthcare for all through quality improvement are recognized so that best practices are shared.” 

Still, on the ceremony, the Project Coordinator, Dr Alabi, expressed hope that the Local Organizing Committee, LOC, will continue to use the platform presented by the award to celebrate health professionals and organisations whose contributions have impacted and helped the nation to combat challenges in healthcare service delivery in 2020, which were further exacerbated by COVID-19 pandemic. He urged stakeholders in the healthcare industry to visit the award website, www.nigeriahealthawards.com.ng to make their nominations. “Nomination will close on midnight of Saturday, May 22, 2021, while the event will take place on Friday, June 25, 2021, at the Convention Centre, Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.  

“Nominations can be made for corporate or individual categories by any member of the public. You can either nominate online or download the nomination form”, he said. He also added that “NHEA is the ‘Oscar’ of Nigeria healthcare awards. In the last seven years, the award has grown to become a point of reference in the industry. 

“We would continue to do our best in order not to abuse the confidence placed on us. Moreover, we were unable to hold the award in 2020 due to the challenging situation presented by the ravaging coronavirus then. With new improvement and present level of technology, we believe we are in a better position to hold the event this year.” 

Meanwhile, according to the Director, Marketing, Communication & Strategy, NHEA, Moses Braimah, they are expecting about 30 per cent increase in the nominations this time around. “We are expecting about 30 per cent increase in the nominations for NHEA 2021 due to growing awareness and acceptance of the award by various stakeholders. “Furthermore, the award focuses on outstanding performances, creation of new business models, recognition of those who embrace new trends, market leadership and inspirational performance amongst others”, Braimah said. 

Also, other categories of the awards include Lifetime Achievements Award, Most Responsive COVID-19 State Government of the Year, Most Outstanding COVID-19 State Health Commissioner of the Year, Most Outstanding COVID-19 Support Public Laboratory Company of the Year, Most Outstanding COVID-19 Support Private Laboratory Company of the Year and Most Outstanding COVID-19 CSR Health Project of the Year. Others include Outstanding Healthcare Financial Institution of the Year, Outstanding NGO Support Company of the Year, Healthcare Media Excellence Award-Print, Healthcare Media Excellence Award-Online, Healthcare Media Excellence Award- Broadcast, Biomedical Engineering Service Company of the Year, IVF Service Provider of the Year, Dialysis Service Provider of the Year, Technology-Driven Pharmaceutical Distributor of the Year, Most Improved Pharmaceutical Retail Outlet of the Year, and others.

source: Medicalworldnigeria