The Sir Emeka Foundation has settled the bills of about 15 patients who were on admission at the National Hospital, Abuja with over N2 million.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the initiative, was conducted in the presence of Anthony Osuji, the Deputy Director, Planning in-charge of Social Welfare and some of the hospital’s matrons on Monday.
Addressing newsmen afterward, Mrs Adaora Offor, the Vice President of the Foundation, said the gesture, which was coming at the Christmas season, was meant to carry a message of love and care for the patients in the spirit of the yuletide.
Offor said part of the foundation’s goal was to cater for the downtrodden, especially critically-ill patients on admission who could not afford to pay bills for good healthcare.
“The Christmas season is here and for the most part, we spend time buying clothes, shoes, and bags of rice and save money to spend on frivolities such as parties and so on.
“However, there are people that don’t have those plans. It is not because they don’t want to, but because they can’t afford to.
“They are here, sick and passing through all kinds of illnesses and most of them are stuck here because they can’t afford to pay for the medical care being given to them.
“It’s a very humbling experience and it makes you think and wonder what you really spend your money on and if those things are worth it.
“So, I thank my husband, Sir Emeka Offor, the President of the Foundation, for his vision and commitment towards this outreach.
“My entire team and I are really so thankful that we made it here today and for us, this has been quite an extremely humbling experience,” she said.
Offor revealed that about 15 lives were touched during the course of the visit, with over N2 million spent offsetting the bills of some of the patients, adding that there were plans by the foundation to reach out to more patients in the hospital.
Applauding the gesture of the SEOF delegation, Osuji said that the Foundation had demonstrated what show of love and selfless service should look like.
“On behalf of the hospital management, we are very grateful for the lives that have been touched through the kind gesture of the SEOF.
“This is more of an humanitarian service and a welcome development. The hospital management are very grateful and will like to use this opportunity to appeal for more of such gestures from other non-governmental organisations or philanthropists.
“With what we have witnessed today, I can say so many lives have been touched whether directly or indirectly,” he said.
Mrs Helen Adah, the matron in-charge of the in-patient paediatric unit, said some of the patients whose lives were touched by the Foundation had illnesses ranging from typhoid perforation, severe burns and inguinal hernias (a bulge or swelling in the groin or scrotum).
“I do appreciate this Foundation that have come to put smiles on the faces of my patients. It is indeed not an easy task and I pray that the good Lord will bless and replenish whatever you have spent to make these children smile and give their parents some succor and relief.
“One of the patients had typhoid perforation which led to intestinal obstruction. He was taken to theatre for emergency laparotomy and have been placed on TPN.
“He had a successful surgery and is actually feeling better as he has been placed on Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) and intravenous antibiotics.
“Another patient here had severe burns from hot water. He came in here very sick with fulminating infections.
“He had septicaemia but thank God he is feeling much better now and this money that the SEOF have given will bring a lot of relief as the child has been scheduled to go to the theatre.
“So, we feel very happy and grateful, especially for me as the representative of this ward for the SEOF putting smiles on the faces of these children awaiting surgeries.
“A lot of them are stuck here because their parents haven’t been able to sort their medical bills and some of them can’t even afford a day’s meal.
“Most times, the nurses and doctors make up money to help them through their ordeals,” she said.
