The First Lady of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, has called on rich Nigerians to stop seeking medical treatments abroad, saying the multi-system Afe Babalola University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) can rival any hospital globally.
Mrs Fayemi added that ABUTH was well equipped with personnel and instruments with indisputable capacity to offer quality healthcare delivery that any hospital in India, the United States of America, Britain and other advanced nations could offer.
The First Lady spoke at her office in Ado Ekiti on Monday, while playing host to the family of Miss Precious Sodeinde, who suffered a brain tumour and was taken to the hospital by Mrs Fayemi for treatment.
The operation on Precious, who had gone partially blind before the issue was reported to the First Lady, was performed by ABUTH experts at the cost of N3 million.
Addressing the family, Mrs Fayemi congratulated the victim’s parents on the successful operation carried out on the 13 -year old Saxophonist.
“I am pleased that the operation was successful. At times, you will spend money on 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.
“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 the information I heard, the experts before the operation on Precious were sure of a 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 shown expertise and conviction that Ekiti can be a 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 travelling abroad, I call on them to come to ABUTH “, she said.
Mrs Fayemi clarified that her office doesn’t have budgetary provision for philanthropic gestures, saying she relied on donations from friends and non-governmental organisations to take care of the sick and needy in Ekiti.
“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 First Lady for the gesture, saying 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 the First Lady gave Precious a second chance to see again. Before the operation, she could not see anything, but she can see clearly now.”
