Cancer: NGO Supports 25 Female Indigent Cancer Patients in ABUTH
By: Edirin Robinson
In an effort to ease the burden of finance on cancer patients, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO,) Hassy Haven Foundation, has provided financial support for 25 indigent female cancer patients at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH,) Zaria.
In her remarks, the Founder, Hussaina Yakubu said the foundation was initiated in memory of her twin sister (Hassana Yakubu,) who battled with cancer for eight years, adding that the journey of accessing cancer care started at ABUTH.
Husseina noted that having stayed with her late twin throughout her ordeal with cancer, she understands the pains of cancer patients while trying to access cancer care services, hence the assistance to the beneficiaries.
While appealing to key stakeholders in the sector to proffer robust initiatives to ameliorate the high cost of medication and other challenges associated with cancer care services, she disclosed that the foundation plans to expand the initiative to other parts of the country.
She reiterated that the foundation seeks to help in creating awareness on cancer and its management and also to reduce mortality rate through its community outreach programmes.
“We are going to partner with health experts to promote early detection and preventive measures and also management of cancer,” she said.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD,) of ABUTH, Prof. Hamid Umdagas who described the support as laudable and commendable said it was good step in the right direction.
Prof. Hamid commended the founder for her support in providing good cancer care for the indigent female cancer patients and urged other foundations and philanthropists to emulate and replicate the gesture.
The CMD disclosed that the Federal Government was doing it’s best to help cancer patients by opening an e-wallet under the Cancer Health Fund (CHF) with N1m for 100 cancer patients at ABUTH, adding that there are many cancer patients, both male and female who are indigent but cannot afford the treatment of cancer.
“The N1m is to cover the cost of cancer care for patients who are suffering from prostate, cervical and breast cancers.”
“However, the assistance from the foundation goes to females patients battling with type of cancer since many of the beneficiaries cannot afford the cost of transportation and other logistics to the facility,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Adina Nuhu, commended the foundation for the gesture and prayed for God Almighty to replenish their purse.
She also appealed to the government to replicate free HIV treatment model on cancer to cushion the effect of the high cost of its treatment.
Each of the beneficiary received a token of N30,000 from the foundation to cushion the effect of the high cost of accessing medical services at the hospital.
