Foundation pledges N4m on free medical outreach to Abuja indigents

Surgical Aid Foundation (SAF), a non-governmental organisation, on Monday, said it has pledged over N4 million for its 2018 free medical outreach programme in Abuja
Speaking in an interactive session with journalists, SAF programme Manager, Abidemi Babatunde, said aside the four million naira already budgeted; more funds would be source for to assist indigent patients gain access to high-tech surgeries.

She disclosed that the foundation in partnership with Kelina hospital has for past seven years treated 58 surgical patients costing about N40 million.‘’The rich can travel to any country in the world to have to have Minimal Access Surgery (MAS) performed on them. Those who are not so rich are left with us. They equally need help. SAF will be underwriting some of the bills to make it possible for patients to have these surgeries done,” she said.

She said the free medical outreach, which would be done from October to November has already seen about 600 patients indicating interests.Commenting, Dr. C. U. Undie, a consultant urological surgeon at Kelina hospital, said the outreach would focus on prostrate cancer treatment, Prostrate Specific Antigen (PSA) checks and free dental checks.

He said however, that the foundation would only pick half of the bills for high-tech surgeries, unless the patient involved is unemployed, an orphan or a widow.He disclosed that the hospital has acquired a 120-Watts Holmium laser that will be deployed for the surgeries.

“We have sponsored people for breast and cervix cancer. This programme is done every year and we are in the seventh year. We have also acquired a 120-Watts Holmium laser, which we have installed and started using. The inspiration is that we want a situation where everybody who goes to a hospital would not walk back home without treatment.”