By Hassan Zaggi
The Federal Government has applauded Alliance Hospital for its many humanitarian services it is rendering to vulnerable and poor Nigerians.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Delu Bulus-Yakubu, gave the commendation when she paid a courtesy visit to the management of Alliance Hospital, in Abuja, yesterday.
She, however, endorsed Alliance Hospital as Nigeria’s private health humanitarian hospital for effective response to healthcare needs of the vulnerable.
She noted that the federal government was aware of the good work Alliance Hospital is doing, especially, in the area of providing subsidize treatment to vulnerable and poor patients in Nigeria.
Bulus-Yakubu noted that the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is paying special attention to equitable access to healthcare services to all citizens irrespective of social status, which, she stressed, coincided with the 4-point agenda of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, where he identified partnership with the private sector as key to delivering quality health services to Nigerians.
“Our aim of being here is to see how we can have a working synergy with my humble office. The humanitarian works of your hospital speaks volume out there, that is why we are here.
“At least, we have so many hospitals in Nigeria, but for us to single handedly pick you out, we know what it means. With what I hear today, I will surely pass your message to the presidency and see how the government can, one way or the other, support your work because to get you type is rear now,” the president’s aide said.
Speaking, the Medical Director of Alliance Hospital, Dr. Christopher Otabor, noted that the humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation office has many areas to partner with Alliance Hospital in order to reduce the poverty and suffering of the vulnerable Nigerians.
According to him: “Without health, everybody is poor that is why they say health is wealth. I can draw the nexus between your office and the hospital and there is a very large room for collaboration and we must explore it to the benefit of Nigerians.
“You are the first presidential aide in this government that has come. In the last government, we have a number of them who came to show solidarity and we had some good understanding.
“I want to believe that this visit will yield huge dividends for the vulnerable and poor people that you are representing in government.
“Every year, in the past five years, we have saved Nigeria over 100 million dollars.
“The spine surgery that is happening right now in the theatre, if that surgery was to take place in the US, it is 150,000 dollars but the patient being poor, we billed them six million naira but they could not afford it, we had to give them discount until we got to 4.5 million naira.
“Compare 4.5 million naira with 150,000 dollars. Last year, we did like 50 of such cases only for spine, and for joint replacement, both hip and knee combine we did like 40 of these surgeries in a year, then the brain surgeries and then the ICU.”
He reiterated the determination of Alliance Hospital to continue to support and assist vulnerable and poor Nigerians and provide them with health services at highly subsidized rate.
He noted that with sophisticated equipment available at Alliance Hospital, Nigerians don’t need to travel to other countries for medical treatment.
