23rd October, 2021
Sen. Aliyu Wamakko representing Sokoto North Central has paid the medical bills of the eight cardiothoracic patients who were operated in the state 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 (N2,594,000) was presented to the patients by Alhaji Bashar Muhammad on his behalf. He said 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 madical 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, 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.”
Head of Cardiothoracic Unit of the Hospital, Dr Abubakar Umar, described the magnanimity of the Senator as unparalleled.
The doctor said 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.