Buhari lauds foundation for investing in free health services

• EU earmarks N344 billion to better Imo people

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday commended the Chanrai family for investing massively over the years to provide free health services to less-privileged Nigerians.Speaking yesterday at the commissioning of the Tulsi Chanrai Hospital in Abuja, the president said the family’s investments since independence were a demonstration of dedication to the wellbeing of Nigerians by channelling resources into making life better for many, especially the poor.

“I am very pleased to note their contribution to check and prevent avoidable blindness by restoring the vision of more than 120,000 Nigerians free of charge. These services will now be enhanced with this state-of-the-art hospital in the heart of Nigeria,’’ he stated.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the president recalled that the Chanrai family was initially into trading and manufacturing before venturing into humanitarian activities. Buhari went on: “The vision of the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation is to build a healthy Nigeria. Since its inception, the foundation has been instrumental in implementing several projects related to primary health care, eye care and safe drinking water throughout the country.

“In addition, I am informed that the foundation is engaged in rehabilitation of boreholes across Nigeria, covering 32 states. So far, they have rehabilitated more than 7000 boreholes, providing safe drinking water to more than three million Nigerians.’’

In his remarks, the foundation’s chairman, Jagdish Chanrai, submitted that more than 60 per cent of services would be targeted at the poor, especially in restoring sight and correcting defects, adding that the hospital, which commenced services in January, had attended to 6, 400 patients and performed over 1000 eye surgeries, with 850 of them provided free.He said the Chanrai family had touched the lives of about 7.5 million Nigerians through various humanitarian projects.

The medical facility is managed by Aravind Eye Care System of India and will be largely operated by a Nigerian team of 30 eye professionals who had been trained in the Asian nation.Besides, the European Union (EU) is to spend 100 million Euros (about N344 billion) in health and youth programmes in Imo State.

The team leader, Johnbosco Ozigbo, made the disclosure during a courtesy visit to Governor Emeka Ihedioha at Government House, Owerri. He said the amount was part of the 512 million Euros budget to be spent by the bloc in Nigeria.