The founder of Sani Bello Foundation, Rtd. Col. Sani Bello has said that hosting parties during birthdays is a waste of time as individuals can use the money for humanity.

Bello, who spoke during the Foundation’s medical outreach named ‘Free Surgical Festival’ said the best gifts to receive for his birthdays are the smiles of those who are beneficiaries of his Foundation’s free medical outreach.

He said: “I am not a party person. If I should host the party, I will likely invite dignitaries who are not in need of food. Instead of wasting money on parties, I decided to use it to serve humanity. I also discovered that the best way to do so is by taking care of their health.

“That is why I embarked on this journey through the Sani Bello Foundation and Graceland Foundation team of medical experts. We have been on it for ten years.

“It brings me fulfilment walking through the various wards and seeing the smiles on people’s faces. These people cannot afford the money for the surgery so I am glad I can take the pressure off their shoulders and allow them to live a normal life.”

Bello stated that he is determined to do more for humanity as he realized that there are several people in need of the surgeries that are being offered.

He said that the organization does not discriminate on who benefits from the free surgeries adding that the beneficiaries come as far as Lagos and Port Harcourt to benefit from the Foundation’s free medical surgeries.

The head of the medical team for the outreach, Dr Thot Dogo Joseph, said that the Foundation operated close to 500 patients for appendicitis, hernia, hydrocoele, goitre, lumps, cataracts, glaucoma alongside gynaecological procedures on fibroids.

Joseph, who is also the chairman of Graceland Development Healthcare Foundation, disclosed that since the inception of the free medical surgical festival, they have carried out surgeries on 13, 000 people.

He said: “These surgeries are free of charge. Our Chairman, Col. Sani Bello sponsors the surgeries we cannot carry out here to be done in other places. We do not usually have a target because our Chairman gives us an open cheque to operate as many people as we can during the days of the outreaches.”

The director general of the Sani Bello Foundation, Dr. Zachari Ikani said that the Foundation also ensures that the surgical theatre and wards are in good shape before the medical-surgical festival begins.

According to him, this year, the Foundation worked on the air conditioners and the lighting and renovated the stretchers for easy movement of the patients from the theatres to the wards.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to newsmen appreciated the Sani Bello Foundation for the initiative, saying that they have been offered the best gifts of their lives.

Mrs Zhanif Jarfa who had a baby through a cesarean section noted that her husband was not financially fit to foot the cesarean surgery bills despite being told that it was the safest way for her to deliver her baby appreciating the Foundation that she and her baby are alive and healthy.

The Foundation also treated 2,000 people for non-surgical illnesses such as malaria and typhoid at no cost to them. (The Nation)

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