Sodiq Ojuroungbe
A Non-Governmental Organisation, Save Cell Foundation has called on the Federal Government to establish specialised hospitals in each of the 36 states to provide healthcare solely for those with sickle cell disease.
The founder of the NGO, Mrs Oluwabusayomi Soretire made the call on Tuesday, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, after leading a walk tagged ‘First Red Umbrella Walk and Warriors Party’ organised by Save Cell Foundation, to commemorate the 2024 World Sickle Cell Day.
While explaining that the walk was organised to give hope to patients of sickle cell disorder and their parents and call the world’s attention to their plight, she emphasised that the government must develop a workable healthcare policy that will provide them with quality healthcare.
Oluwabusayomi added that the specialised hospital if established by the government, will go a long way to ameliorate the pains sickle cell patients go through while trying to get medical attention in normal hospitals.
She further urged the government at all levels to ensure that they make employment opportunities available to sickle cell patients, noting that doing so will help reduce their traumas and eradicate stigmatization.
The Save Cell founder, who said no fewer than 100 warriors fighting against sickle cell disorder would be given food items and health kits by her Foundation to commemorate the 2024 World Sickle Cell Day, remarked that the disease is not a death sentence, urging people living with the disorder not to lose hope but fight on.
She, however, charged parents of sickle cell warriors not to stigmatize or segregate them, rather, they should show them love, care and compassion to live and achieve their life dreams.
Also speaking, a warrior against sickle cell disorder, Atinuke Alabi, appealed to the Federal Government to make free drugs available for people living with sickle cell, noting that several warriors have died because they could not afford the exorbitant cost of their drugs
She argued that if People Living With HIV should be considered for free medication, while warriors should also benefit from the free drugs programme by the government so as to provide succour for them and enhance their healthcare services.
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