By Kabiru Dogon Daji
Birnin Kebbi
At least 60 per cent out of the 600 patients operated of cancer sponsored by MEDICAID; a Foundation owned by wife of the Governor of Kebbi state, Dr Zainab Atiku Abubakar Bagudu, was unsuccessful and died afterwards.
The first lady, who made this known yesterday, while addressing a press conference in Birnin kebbi, disclosed that 12,000 patients were registered by the foundation since 2010 when the foundation commenced its activities while 600 underwent surgical operations.
The foundation, according to her, stated full operation in 2010 when her husband was a senator and since then, its humanitarian activities have been going on.
She attributed the death toll to insensitivity of some rural people that could not detect the illness early until their situation got critical, adding that in view of that, the foundation has brought in cancer testing kits to be distributed to mothers that would help them know their status.
Mrs Bagudu said the kit “is easy to use for early detection of cancer especially in women.”
She further said that her foundation would celebrate the 2017 cancer day where stakeholders with vast experience in the health sector would explain the causes of the menace and provide the way forward towards its eradication.
Similarly, she said her foundation had been working closely with other non-governmental organisations like UNICEF, WHO, USAID and other donor agencies in the area of primary health development initiatives.
