By Olamilekan FAWAS
An Osun State-based medical group, Olugbenga Akintola Foundation, has commenced donation of drugs worth N64 million to several hospitals in the state for free treatment of indigent patients.
The Chairman of the foundation, MrGbengaAkintola, made the disclosure on Thursday while presenting 500 antibiotics (Taxocine) injections on Thursday to Our Lady of Fatima Hospital in Osogbo.
Akintola said it would distribute about 7,200 bales of the drug to several hospitals across the state.
“There are a lot of indigent and poor citizens of low income in the state who cannot afford medical treatment in hospitals.
“The antibiotics we are donating to hospitals are for the treatment of blood, abdomen and lungs infections and an injection cost about N9,000 each.
“It will be difficult for someone who earns N18,000 minimum monthly salary with family commitments and other responsibilities to afford such drugs when ill and that is why we are intervening to help.
“We are here to support the very poor people in our state so that they too can live healthier and longer lives,” he said.
The chairman disclosed that for the past six years, the foundation had offered free diagnosis and treatment to hypertension and diabetes patients in the state.
Akintola said the foundation equally carry out monthly follow-up treatment on diagnosed and initially treated patients adding that about 13,000 patients had received free treatment by the foundation.
He said the reason why the foundation embarked on such a feat was to assist government in providing medical requirements for the people.
Akintola pointed out that it had put in place monitoring and evaluation team to ensure that the hospitals disbursed the drugs to genuine patients at no additional cost.
Rev. Sister Cecilia Adache, the Administrator of Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, thanked the foundation, on behalf of the Catholic Bishop of Osogbo, over the humanitarian gesture.
She promised that the drugs would be administered on the intended patients at no cost and described the donation as a `beginning of a good relationship’ between the hospital and the foundation.
