Bisi Yusuf

A Lagos lawmaker, Mr Bisi Yusuff, on Tuesday, bankrolled the surgical operations of about 400 constituents and distributed multi-million naira drugs and glasses to residents of his constituency.
Yusuff, representing Alimosho Constituency I, at the Lagos State House of Assembly, kicked off a-five day project at the Ipaja Mini Stadium to mark his annual Free Health Mission.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project, scheduled to hold in five different locations in his Alimosho Federal Constituency, is organised under Prince of Hope Turns To Reality Foundation (An initiative of the lawmaker).
“Health is wealth – a healthy nation is a prosperous nation. I am giving back to the society that made me what I am today. These people love me and voted for me. I cannot do less.
“I should also be very kind to people around me. They radiate love around me, which is why they gave me their votes. I have to reciprocate their love.
“There are some people that have been living with stigma for years and I say that if God spares my life every year, I should be able to help them by taking away their sorrows.
“It is not the amount of money you have in your bank account that matters, but the number of lives you are able to touch. I saved my money to save lives by improving the health conditions of my people,’’ he said.
Yusuff, the Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts (Local), called on governments across levels to invest more on health, to save the lives of the people, expressing happiness with the massive turn-out.
The lawmaker said that he had assembled more than 30 consultants and surgeons to attend to ailments covering keloids, hernia, lumpectomy, ganglion and others.
“They (the People) are beautiful facially, but inside them, they are not happy. Somebody just has to make them happy.
“This is the only way I can be counted among those who add value to human lives. It is not healthcare alone, I understand what education means. I uplift the educational standards of our people every year.
“Some people have been living with a particular sickness for years. God has given me good health and I have to reciprocate that.
“I have assembled consultants, nurses, pharmacists and surgeons to attend to the people, mostly the less privileged, who cannot afford and access good healthcare.”
The lawmaker said that what he has committed to health made him to establish five public health centres as the Chairman of Ayobo/Ipaja Local Council Development Area.
“He said whatever ailment that could not be handled during the exercise would be referred to the specialist hospitals, adding that some surgeons came all the way from the U.S., for the exercise.
According to him, Dr Edwin Avbuere led the US medical team, while Dr Oladokun Alaba, led the Nigerian medical team.
Alaba told newsmen that 10 surgeons were already on ground and that more were still being expected.
He said: “We are general surgeons. I am a neurologist, I deal with kidney, prostate and other parts of the body. We believe that by Saturday, we would have performed surgeries for many people.
“We are not going to attack dangerous cases such as goitre and major surgeries. We deal with keloid, hernia, lumpectomy, ganglion and others.
“We are ready to deal with many illnesses, but the patients must follow instructions. It is a volunteer kind of job, we are doing it to support Mr Bisi Yusuf and his Hope Turns Into Reality Project, to help the less privileged.’’
A beneficiary, whose twins have abnormal features and who gave her name as Adenike, revealed that she had been billed N2 million in the hospital, which she could not afford.
She stated that the father of the boys and his family members abandoned her and the children, saying that she begged to feed the children as a poor hairdresser.

Also speaking, Alhaja Rukiyat Badmus, a septuagenarian said: “This gesture is good for the benefit of the poor who have health challenges but cannot afford hospital bills. Government must help the masses in areas like this.”
Alhaji Zakirat Dosunmu, another beneficiary, said such gestures would reduce the death rate, saying “Many people get sick and die because they don’t have money to foot their hospital bills.’’
Others such as Mr Gbolahan Oyekan, whose son, Lekan, had appendicitis, Nike Babalola, who required brain surgery and Mr Onilude Hafeez, with a severe keloid, thanked Yusuff for the gesture as they all looked forward to successful surgeries.
NAN reports that the venue of the event was filled with people with diverse health challenges.