Ekiti State governor's wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, has urged affluent Nigerians to stop seeking medical treatment abroad, and explore indigenous hospitals that are adequately equipped.
She spoke yesterday in her office in Ado-Ekiti while hosting the family of Miss Precious Sodeinde who underwent successful surgery to remove brain tumour which threatened her with permanent blindness.
Erelu lamented that many Nigerians commit sizeable amount on medical tourism abroad for treatments and surgeries they could access in the country, adding that Afe Babalola University Multi-system Teaching Hospital (ABUMTH) today competes with any hospital anywhere in the world.
Mrs Fayemi said ABUMTH was well equipped with personnel and instrument with indisputable capacity to offer quality health care delivery that any hospital in India, the United States of America, Britain and other advanced nations could offer.
The operation on Precious who had gone partially blind before the issue was reported to the governor’s wife, was performed by ABUTH experts at the cost of N3 million.
Mrs Fayemi congratulated the victim and her parents on the successful operation carried out on the 13-year-old saxophonist, saying "I am pleased that the operation was successful. At times, you will spend money on a sickness, but money might fail. There was a case of a two year old hole-in-the -heart boy. We paid a sum of N2 million, but the boy died before the surgery."
Her words: “There was another lady who was already slated for surgery, but died a day before the operation despite all we spent . I had to donate the money to the family. Based on information I heard, the experts before the operation on Precious were sure of successful surgery, but not really sure of her regaining her sight or seeing clearly again. But today, the young girl can see perfectly, because the experts did a great job.
“I feared that her situation wouldn’t be like those failed operations that we had witnessed . I thank the experts for doing a great job. They have showed expertise and conviction that Ekiti can be destination for good healthcare delivery in Nigeria
“With ABUTH in existence, Nigerians don’t need to go to India, USA or other advanced nations for medical treatment . Rather than traveling abroad, I call on on them to come to ABUTH “, she said.
Noting that her office did not have special official allowances to undertake philanthropic gestures, Erelu Fayemi clarified she always relied on donations from friends and non- governmental organisations to take care of the sick and needy in Ekiti.
She spoke: “Let me appeal to our people to feel free to write to my office while in distress, rather than going on social media. People who need help should write to the appropriate quarters” .
The mother of the victim, Mrs Jumoke Sodeinde, appreciated the Fist Lady for the gesture, adding that her prompt intervention rescued Precious from total blindness.
“I thank the First Lady for this show of love . We thank God that prompt action by Her First Lady gave Precious a second chance to see again. Before the operation, she could not see anything, but she can see clearly now.”
