Lagos State First Lady, Dr. (Mrs.) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu on Saturday said plans are underway to launch Endowment Fund to defray the cost of pediatric surgeries for needy babies of Ayinke House of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to LASUTH as part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), Dr Sanwo-Olu who is the Chairman of the Committee, said it was important to make the right investment in healthcare delivery to play up the health of the people, and also support the needy.
She said the present administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had already identified healthcare as a major sector to be massively supported in line with efforts to ensure a greater Lagos.
According to her, “We decided to do our CSR here; this is Ayinke House in LASUTH. We are hoping that we would send the message down to the people that there is need for us to invest in our patients, as well as invest in our doctors and nurses so that they can deliver good healthcare to our people in Lagos State which is one of the key pillars of the development agenda of the government of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for a greater Lagos.
“We have come here and we have identified something we can take up as our project and that is endowment fund for the Pediatric Surgeries that are being done here. Already, the Lagos State Government is doing 0-12 free healthcare for children but we need to also partner with them to do endowment fund and encourage a lot of people to also partner with us.”
The First Lady, accompanied by the wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs Oluremi Hamzat and hundreds of COWLSO members, also embarked on ‘Awareness Walk’ from LASUTH to Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja, as part of efforts to further inform residents on the forthcoming National Women Conference of COWLSO scheduled to hold from October 22 to 24, 2019 at the Convention Centre of Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The conference, with the theme: “Unlearn, Learn And Relearn: 21st Century Women’s T.H.E.M.E.S Perspectives/Approach,” is designed to empower women with skills to key into emerging opportunities being provided by the administration in the State.
Also speaking, Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, Professor Adeokunbo Fabamwo said the management of LASUTH was extremely delighted to partner with the First Lady to support the needy babies through the endowment fund.
“We are very delighted to have the First Lady, the wife of the Deputy Governor and the whole of the COWLSO crowd here in LASUTH. We are also pleased with the endowment fund for needy babies. The government of Lagos State has a free health policy for 0-12 and this has been on since 1999 but we need to assist government.
“So, we want to appeal to high-net-worth individuals and corporate organizations to put funds in that endowment fund because some of those children for instance need cancer care. Cancer drugs are very expensive and government may not be able to provide everything; that is what the whole idea of the endowment fund is all about.
“This is a laudable project. I thank the First Lady for this endowment fund and I again use this opportunity to call on individuals and corporate organizations to come around and support the First Lady’s project for the treatment of needy babies; it is very commendable and we welcome it,” Fabamwo said.
