Hassy Haven Foundation Non-Governmental Organisation, (NGO) has keyed into the Federal Government’s Cancer Care initiative by supporting 25 indigent female cancer patients at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) Zaria.
Each of the beneficiaries received a token of N30,000 from the foundation to cushion the effect of the high cost of accessing medical services at the hospital.
Professor. Hamid Umdagas, Chief Medical Director of ABUTH, who described the support as laudable and commendable said it was a good step in the right direction.
He also appreciated the founder of Hassy Haven Foundation Mrs Hussaina Yakubu for the support for indigent female cancer patients.
He noted that the Federal Government was doing its best in order to help cancer patients by opening an e-wallet under the Cancer Health Fund (CHF)with N1 million for 100 cancer patients at ABUTH.
“The N1 million was to cover the cost of cancer care for patients who are suffering from prostate, cervical and breast cancer cancers.
“However, the assistance from the foundation goes to all cancer patients, and it was aimed at women only stressing that many beneficiaries cannot afford the cost of transportation and other logistics to the facility”, he said.
He, therefore, urged other foundations and philanthropists to emulate the Hassy Haven Foundation, to replicate the gesture and render similar assistance to male cancer patients.
The chief medical director noted that there are a lot of cancer patients both male and female who are indigent and cannot afford the treatment of cancer.
In her remarks, the Founder Hussaina Yakubu said the foundation was initiated in memory of her twin sister (Hassana Yakubu) who battled cancer for eight years.
She said the journey by her late sister for accessing cancer care started at ABUTH; adding that she understood the pains of accessing care services, hence the assistance to the beneficiaries.
Yakubu added that the foundation which was inaugurated in February had a plan to expand the initiative to other parts of the country.
She also appealed to key stakeholders in the sector to proffer robust initiatives to ameliorate the high cost of medication and other challenges associated with cancer care services.
She reiterated the foundation’s aim to help create awareness and reduce the mortality rate through its community outreach programme
“We are going to partner with health experts to promote early dictation, preventive measures and also the management of cancer”, she said.
While speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Adina Nuhu, commended the foundation for the gesture and prayed for the God Almighty to replenish their purse.
She appealed to the government to replicate free HIV treatment model on cancer to cushion the effect of high cost of its treatment.
