The First Lady of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, has called on rich Nigerians to stop seeking medical treatments abroad, saying the multi-system nature of Afe Babalola University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) can rival any hospital in the world.
Fayemi added that ABUTH is well equipped with personnel and instruments with indisputable capacity to offer quality healthcare delivery that any hospital in India, United States of America, Britain and other advanced nations could offer.
The state first lady stated this at her office in Ado Ekiti yesterday, while playing host to the family of Miss Precious Sodeinde, who suffered brain tumour, and was taken to the hospital by her for treatment.
The operation done 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, Fayemi congratulated the victim’s parents on the successful operation carried out on the 13-year old Saxophonist.
According to her, “I am pleased that the operation was successful. At times you would spend money on an illness, but money might fail you. There was a case of a two-year-old boy with a hole in the heart. 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 was done on Precious, were sure of a successful surgery, but not really sure of her regaining her sight or to see 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 State can be destination for good healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
“With ABUTH, Nigerians don’t need to go to India, USA or other advanced countries for medical treatment. Rather than traveling abroad, I call on them to try ABUTH.”
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 the state.
