The Health Aid Development Initiative (HADI) has launched the ‘Operation Make the Bed Available’ campaign with a view to ensuring that hospital beds are provided for poor patients in Nigeria.

It was learnt that the initiative was launched at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

Development Diaries understands that the basic health services in Nigeria comes at a steep cost, with a consultation with a general practitioner costing between N10,000 and N40,000 depending on the doctor and the institution chosen, according to Expat Assure.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign in Lagos, the Coordinator of HADI, Joshua Ajiboye, explained that the organisation was established solely for helping Nigerians, especially those who cannot afford basic health services, through crowdfunding.

‘We have set up an NGO, which is duly registered. It is a crowdfunding NGO which we have started by ourselves and then Nigerians can come and join us’, he said.

‘We intend to run the NGO in a way that we make it look simple for Nigerians to help people.

‘It is possible for us to get 200,000 Nigerians to donate N200 monthly, but it can only be done if we that are running the NGO are sincere and transparent with what we are doing’.

Ajiboye maintained that the lack of bed spaces for emergency patients prompted the group into kicking off the initiative.

‘Our starting point is making the bed available because we have discovered that people come into the hospital under emergency and need to be admitted but beds are occupied, no bed space.

‘That is the reason we started with “Operation Make the Bed Available” ‘.

On his part, the Director of Social Services at LASUTH, Akintola Ibhafidon, who represented the Chief Medical Director, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, commended HADI for kicking off the initiative at the hospital.

‘The Chief Medical Director (LASUTH), Professor Fabamwo, has asked me to appreciate and thank you for what you are about to do’, he said.

‘It is not easy to give, it is a service to humanity, and when you are giving, God is watching you and is ready to replenish your pockets’.

Source: THISDAY

Photo source: Matthew Parkins