FBNInsurance Limited, an FBN Holdings company in partnership with Sanlam of South Africa has donated a dialysis machine to Gbagada General Hospital, Lagos to boost patient’s access for medicals.
The donation which is part of activities to mark the underwriting firm’s 5th anniversary, according to the Company was borne out of its passion to care for the poor and vulnerable in the society who may not be able to pay for the full cost of dialysis.
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, FBNInsurance Val Ojumah, who spoke at the commissioning of the Machine at Gbagada General Hospital said: “As a company belonging to FirstBank, it is important that we support government in developmental programmes of this type.”
He said the Company is using this to support the Gbagada General Hospital and the Lagos State Ministry of Health in ensuring that more patients suffering from related ailments have access to regular dialysis at affordable cost.
Ojumah urged the Hospital management to device a means at ensuring that as many people as possible that cannot pay for full cost of dialysis are accommodated in one way or the other.
Medical Director, Gbagada General Hospital Tayo Lawal, who could not hold his joy on the donation by FBNInsurance said the ‘value to life’ by this donation is unquantifiable.
Lawal said two dialysis machines already being used by the hospital had all broken down as a result of over use, stating that, this came handy when it was most needed.
He stated that Government was doing its best to put premium on healthcare, but cannot do it alone, assuring FBNInsurance that the hospital would make maximum use and maintenance of the machine.
He said the hospital receives about 700 to 800 patients on a daily basis, amounting to 23,000 to 31,000 patients per month, said the history of Dialysis in Lagos State actually started from the hospital.
“The government is trying its best to put premium on health, but government cannot do it alone. That is why we appreciate the kind gesture of FBN Insurance. Your donation came timely, because we have just one functioning machine, which for one reason or the other, either due to overwork, broke down last week, and we decided to use the one you donated, even before it is commissioned.”
He reassured the insurance firm that the machine, which could last for 10 years minimum would be maintained to ensure that it stands the test of time.
He stressed that at least 10 per cent of Nigerians are suffering from kidney disease, meaning that one person in every 10 Nigerians has evidence of chronic kidney disease. The Dialysis machine, he said, would be of immense benefits to treat kidney disease at a cheap price.
Chairman, FBNInsurance Adenrele Kehinde and Director, FBNInsurance Wale Ariyibi, who threw their support on the partnership said the underwriting Company would continue to add value to the society in programmes of this nature.
They however urged the public to embrace insurance to reduce the cost of healthcare, and as a better means of managing healthcare risks. There are insurance products tied to medical care that will take the cost of healthcare burden off you, so take insurance today for better tomorrow, they advised.
Statistics from the hospital shows that there no fewer than 800 to 1000 patients coming for dialysis on day to day basis and about 21,000 monthly.
According to one of the doctors at the hospital, kidney disease has reached an unprecedented level in the last few years, to the extent that one in every ten Nigerian has evidence of kidney failure.
