Irked by the deteriorating jaw tumor otherwise called Ameloblastoma of Miss Helen Omenekor Ogbaji (14years) and the seeming inability to commence treatment at the National Hospital, Abuja due to paucity of funds, the President and Founder of Ikaba Ngaji Foundation, Chief Jude Ogbeche Ngaji has paid the hospital bill for the surgery.
The patient, who has been battling with the jaw tumor for years now has been in and out of hospital several times due to lack of money to pay the medical bills, resigned to fate before the foundation came to her aid and brought succour to her.
In line with the cardinal objectives and mission statement of the foundation, the founder and president cleared the hospital bill totaling N600,000 amongst others and surgery will take place immediately the health workers strike is suspended.
Speaking on the development, Chief Ngaji said he decided to do charity work to serve humanity through the foundation.
He said: “Charity work is not only for the politicians but for everybody in the society. This is because the measure you give is the measure you will be given or receive. The best thing we can do for ourselves is to help others while we are alive because we don’t know who will enjoy our wealth after death.”
He also revealed that over 150 indigent patients were discharged through the foundation last year, adding that they were discharged at the General Hospital Calabar, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), General Hospital Ogoja and also the Moniaya Hospital Ogoja, amongst others.
The Team Lead of the Health Division of the Foundation, Dr Eric Edrah praised the vision and humanitarian service rendered to indigent patients by the founder even as he urged other individuals and organisations to emulate the gesture.
” The Founder, Chief Jude Ogbeche Ngaji is a man that is completely sold out to the wellbeing and the prosperity of people. This he has demonstrated by prioritizing two core areas of human capital development, namely Health and Education. He has given so much over the years, not out of abundance but of necessity to meet real needs in the aforementioned areas of human development and others. Sleep virtually forsakes him whenever he is not able to attend to a real need. Like a true Leader that he is, the heart of compassion is palpable and visible for all to see.”
While acknowledging the payment of the hospital bills for his daughter, Mr Ogbaji Asangha praised the Foundation for its gesture, saying that it had set a pace for others to follow.
“I hope other NGOs and politicians would emulate the gesture by setting up centres which could give succour to the poor in the society and which would be named after them. This is the only way they can give back to the society what they received or benefited from it. I know the plight of some children passing through the same challenge. Some of them can not pay their bills no matter how little due to poverty,” he said.
Recall that as at february 2017, the cost of the surgery at the National Hospital was estimated at about four hundred and sixty eight thousand naira (N468,000) only to enable Helen live a healthy life. The inability of her father; Mr Gabriel Ogbaji Ogwoja who is a security guard at Mathias Offoboche Secondary School Okuku Yala to raise the said amount for the surgery necessitated the call for financial assistance from the public.
Recent investigations conducted on Little Helen at the National Hospital, Abuja indicated a massive deterioration of the jaw tumor which therefore would require more money for the different stages of the surgery as shown below;
#Surgery
Stage 1: Tumor resection and insertion of reconstruction plate.
Stage 2: Bone grafting to take care of deficiency.
Stage 3: Rehabilitation with use of dental implants.
The cost of the first stage of about 600k has been borne by Greg Ikaba Ngaji Foundation with breakdown as follows:
#Theatre fee: N150k
#Admission fee (for admission requirements): N100k
#Reconstruction plate: N334, 800
The 2nd and 3rd stages of the surgery will cost about 300k and over 2 million naira respectively, hence the need for more donations from public spirited individuals, government agencies, NGO’s, the clergies, religious bodies etc etc.
