Retired Col. Sani Bello
Retired Col. Sani Bello, says it is fulfilling to provide free medical services to less-privileged Nigerians who could not afford to treat their ailments than to organise lavish parties for the rich.
Bello, Chairman, Sani Bello Foundation, Kontagora, Niger, disclosed this on Sunday, while inaugurating a five-day annual free medical treatment to mark his 81st birthday anniversary on November 27 in Kontagora.
The gesture was an annual event organised by Sani Bello Foundation, Kontagora, in collaboration with Graceland Healthcare Development Foundation, Kaduna, to mark Bello’s birthday.
He said ordinarily, the beneficiaries could not afford such treatment on their own, therefore there was no need to lavish such huge resources organising parties for the rich who already have enough and may not need it.
“Therefore, I am fulfilled doing this to help humanity because each time I go to see them at the hospital with smiles on their faces I feel fulfilled.
“I appreciate the work of God in the live of mankind and the favour God has done me,” he said.
According to Bello, “I have passion for human beings, and I believe we must be our brothers’ keepers.
“Those of us endowed by God with better livelihood should try and support the less-privileged ones in the society.
“I try to support people during my birthdays because I am not the type that likes to attend parties. Besides, if I am to organise a befitting birthday party, most of the people I will invite to that party will be people like me who don’t need food, people who already have enough.
“Therefore, it will be a waste of money and time, so I decided that instead of spending huge amount of money throwing parties for dignitaries, I should use that money to serve humanity.
“I discovered that the best way to serve humanity is by taking care of their health free of charge, which will automatically put smiles on their faces.”
The Chairman of the foundation explained that the free medical services, 10th in the series, started 10 years ago, adding that, “since then we have treated over 13,000 patients free of charge from across the country.
“Many of the beneficiaries are not known to me or the foundation; some of them are from Niger state, Lagos, Abuja, Rivers, Benue, Nasarswa, Kaduna, and Cross River states and others.”
He said that the patients would benefit from free surgeries such as fibroid, appendicitis, goitre, lumps, hernia, hydrocoele, cataract among others.
Similarly, Dr Zakari Ikani, Director General, Sani Bello Foundation, said that the targeted patients this year was 350, adding that from the large number of patients on ground they would exceed the target.
“There was a year we targeted 350 patients, but we handled 477, everything depends on the number of patients, hospital consumables available to us and the number of days we have to work,” he said.
Ikani explained that treatment for referral patients and others recuperating would continue at the expense of the foundation after the window period for the exercise.
He said that during the free treatment, everything was free, including free drugs, but for blood donations and feeding.
Also, Dr Thot Joseph, Chief Executive Officer, Graceland Healthcare Development Foundation, said that the organisation was collaborating with Sani Bello Foundation, based on similar initiative to help the vulnerable persons in the society.
Joseph said besides free eye surgery, they also offer free eye glasses to patients.
Dr Usman Bello, Vice Chairman, Sani Bello Foundation, said that the gesture was a way of giving back to the society.
Earlier, Mrs Hanifa Jafar, a beneficiary who was delivered of a baby boy through Cesarean Section (CS), expressed surprise that somebody could offer such free medical services.
Jafar thanked the organisers of the exercise and said that her family would remain grateful to the Foundation.
Another patient, Mrs Rachael Isa, who underwent surgery for goitre, said that she had been with the ailment for three years without help.
Isa, who prayed God to bless the organisers of the free medical treatment, said that somebody in her community informed her about the Sani Bello Foundation, hence she attended the exercise.
NAN reports that retired Col. Sani Bello, who would clock 81 on November 27 this year, was the former governor of Kano state from 1975 to 1978.
Bello is also father of Alhaji Abubakar Bello, the immediate past governor of the state. (NAN)
