Sen. Aliyu Wamakko (APC-Sokoto North Central) has paid N2,594,000 medical bills of the eight cardiothoracic patients who were operated by a 24-member medical team from Saudi Arabia.
Bashar Abubakar, Media Aide to Wamakko said in a statement in Abuja on Saturday that the money was presented to the patients by Alhaji Bashar Muhammad on his behalf.
Read Also: Kwara gov salutes Talba Ilorin Prof. Oba Abdulraheem at 74
Muhammad said that, the gesture followed the directive by Wamakko, to further alleviate the suffering of the patients.
Muhammad said, ”Wamakko has directed that all those operated upon during the surgery be refunded the money they used in purchasing their medications and other medical equipment.
”During the visit of the Saudi medical team at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, 20 patients were scheduled to undergo free open heart surgeries, but, eight were successfully operated upon.”
He further said, ”Each patient was refunded the sum of three hundred and twenty four thousand two hundred and fifty Naira as directed by the Senator.”
Those who benefited from the gesture include: Fodio Bello Shehu, Rashida Alhaji, Rabi Idris and Shema’u Musa, Fatima Umar Dewa, Yunusa Abubakar, Atika Hassan and Abubakar Shehu.
He added that “A total sum of Two Million Five Hundred and Ninety four thousand Naira was released to pay the cumulative patients’ bills by SeN. Wamakko, who is also a Member of the Muslim World League.”
He said that Head of Cardiothoracic Unit of the Hospital, Dr Abubakar Umar, described the magnanimity of the Senator as unparalleled.
He quoted him as saying that “this is a highly welcome development and a source of encouragement, especially to the patients and their relatives.”
He, therefore, on behalf of the hospital’s management thanked Wamakko, a former Governor of Sokoto State for the invaluable gesture.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke expressed delight with the assistance by Wamakko and urged privileged persons to emulate him.
They further commended him for logically initiating and effectively facilitating the program that resulted in the visit of the Saudi Medical Team to Sokoto.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a 24-member Team of Saudi Medical Doctors came to Sokoto last week and successfully performed free open heart surgeries on the eight lucky patients.
NAN also reports that all the costs of accommodation, feeding and other logistics of the visiting medical doctors were fully shouldered by Wamakko, throughout their stay in Nigeria. (NAN)
