By Precious Oham
A non-governmental-organisation, Tokunboh Ajila-Jakande (TAJ) Children Foundation in collaboration with Office of Community Communications, Governor’s Office on Saturday held a special outreach for stranded hospital patients in the State.
No fewer than 26 stranded patients at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital benefited from the financial assistance from TAG Foundation to offset their bills.
Speaking with journalists, founder of TAG, Tokunboh Ajila-Jakande said the gesture is part of their vision and mission to help the needy in the society.
While calling on well-meaning Nigerians to assist the vulnerable in the society she said the financial assistance will go a long way in helping the patients offset their bills to enable them go home.
Her words: “It’s primarily a children foundation in preparation for every year’s children’s day. We will look for other things to do in addition to children’s day festival that they do every May 27th.
“I decided to collaborate with the Office of Community Communications to see how we can help stranded patients in the hospital.
“The beneficiaries are 26. We gave them a total sum of N1,100M. Some of them have N30,000 bills to pay and they are held because of that. We decided to pay their bills so that they can go home.
“The ones that have more than that, we will talk to other meaningful citizens that can assist them in paying their bills. We are expecting more from the foundation and other good people of the State.”
On her part, Director General, Office of Community Communications, Mary Omotosho said the collaboration with the foundation is to complement the efforts of the state governor towards the well-being of residents in the State.
She commended the foundation for the laudable project while urging philanthropist in the State to help the needy and vulnerable to alleviate poverty.
“What we are doing is to complement the efforts of Governor Biodun Oyebanji and what TAJ Foundation has done in partnership with the Office of Community Communications is in line with the governor’s vision of ensuring good life and well-being of Ekiti people.
“Governor Oyebanji is naturally a compassionate governor and leader who gives up his own comfort for others to be comfortable. She has chosen to do this with the Office of Community Communications. We have a lot of vulnerable people placing a lot of request.
“I give kudos to TAJ Children Foundation for accepting to do this with us. We want to plead with other philanthropist in Ekiti State because there are a lot we can do to alleviate poverty in the State and put smiles in the faces of people.”
Olanrenwaju Olumide, a beneficiary of the kind gesture said: “We thank her for what she has done for us. She has done it sometime ago. We appreciate her for paying our bills in this hospital. We thank her for doing well. It means a lot because part of our bill has been reduced.”