A foundation offsets the medical bills of over 100 patients in Ondo hospital
A foundation, the Fola Adewunmi Foundation, has expressed its readiness to offset the medical bills of no fewer than 100 patients admitted at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital Akure Complex, Ondo State.
The foundation, which visited the state government-owned hospital on Thursday, said it was committed to helping vulnerable children all around the world, particularly the girl child.
Speaking during the visit, the founder of the foundation, Folasade Adewunmi, said the gesture was born out of the passion of the foundation to help the vulnerable children in society.
The foundation visited the postnatal ward, special care baby’s unit, female surgical ward, children’s emergency room, and accidents and emergency ward, among others.
Adewumi said, “This foundation was established in August 2023 in commemoration of my 50th birthday, and the foundation is aimed at supporting and helping vulnerable children around the world, particularly the girl child and that’s why we are in Akure to put smiles on the faces of some children and women patients.
“We have been to schools to sponsor some children back to school. We have met a lot of vulnerable children, and we see that we must take the mission work outside Lagos State and come down to Ondo State.
“So we are trying to raise millions of naira for these children and women patients because some of them have critical cases, and I’m doing these things as individuals, making some donations, and I’m asking the general public to please join us in this course in ensuring necessary support for children at large.”
She appealed to the government to increase hospital funding by equipping hospitals with the necessary equipment, improving the working environment, and improving the welfare of health workers.
In his remarks, the Physician-in-Chief of UNIMEDTH, Dr Adeshina Akintan, said the gesture of the foundation was a laudable and commendable one.
He appealed to other non-governmental organisations and foundations to emulate the FAF, look for vulnerable people, and extend a helping hand to them.
Akintan said, “What the Fola Adewumi Foundation is doing is something that should be commended. There are a lot of problems facing the health sector.
“We lack personnel due to the massive migration of medical personnel from Nigeria, and this is seriously affecting the health sector in this country.
“Our health sector is poorly funded; doctors and nurses do not feel satisfied. So the challenge is for the government at all levels to look into this sector.
“In fact, I will recommend that the government declare a state of emergency in the health sector.”
