By Abbas Bamalli

No fewer than 3,000 vulnerable patients have benefited from the Alhaji Dahiru Mangal Foundation’s urology surgery intervention in Katsina State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Alhaji Mangal, a philanthropist, has spent about N80 million since inception of the sponsored surgery project in the state.

Mr Husaaini Kabir, a Board of Trustees (BOT) member of Mangal Foundation disclosed this during the launch of the exercise in Katsina on Saturday.

He explained that urology was part of healthcare that deals with diseases of the urinary tract (kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra).

Kabir said that since the commencement of the exercise, no fewer than 3,000 vulnerable patients have benefited in about 10 exercises conducted previously in the state.

According to him, about N20 million has been earmarked to sponsor no fewer than 100 patients during the second quarter of the year.

He noted that drugs would be provided free for those whose condition did not require surgery after being checked.

Kabir disclosed that the exercise was part of the foundation’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), aimed at giving back to the society, especially to the less privileged.

The BOT member added that people from different villages within the state, neighbouring states and also from Niger Republic, were equally benefiting from the gesture.

He said that the objective was to alleviate the burden of healthcare costs on the most vulnerable people, as many of them struggled to meet basic needs.

Kabir said the foundation had engaged best medical team, adding that patients could also be screened at the Amadi Rimi Orthopaedic Hospital, in Batagarawa Local Government Area of the state.

He said: “The foundation has engaged the best medical team and procured high quality drugs and medical equipment for the surgery.

“The foundation is exclusively for empowerment, development, educational, charitable purposes and for supporting the poor and vulnerable in the area of healthcare and economic skill.”

He revealed that the foundation, which was established in 2016, had sponsored eye, hernia, and hydrocele surgical operations for thousands of vulnerable patients.

Responding, a beneficiary and staff of Katsina State Polytechnic, Malam Adamu Aliyu, commended the sponsor, saying that he was happy to be one of the beneficiaries.

He said that it was quite a relief as his meagre salary could not afford him the surgery.

Aliyu and other beneficiaries called on government, private organisations, and other wealthy individuals to emulate the gesture extended by the foundation. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ifeanyi Olannye/Muhammad Lawal