The Indigent Medical Fund

The Indigent Medical Fund launched on Children’s Day, the 27th of May, 2004 was established to render assistance to indigent children on admission in hospitals in Kwara State and whose parents are unable to offset the medical bills. This fund took off with Her Excellency’s personal grant of N1.2m when she saw a child die in a hospital for the simple fact that the parents had no money to pay for a blood transfusion.

The fund today caters to both the financial and medical needs of the destitute, the sick, the orphaned, the motherless and the handicapped.

 
WHAT IT DOES:
The Indigent Medical Fund caters to the needs of sick persons in the following ways:
·      They are linked to doctors to examine them and give proper diagnoses.
·      Their medical bills are settled.
·      Drugs are purchased for them.
·      It is ensured they undergo necessary further examinations and follow doctors’ counsel on drugs and diet.
·      Motherless babies are provided with food supplements in form of baby milk.
·      They are also placed on a monthly up- keep allowance.
·      Parents of multiple births are aided in cash and kind.
·      Orphans are placed on scholarships or their guardians given money to start a trade so as to cater to their upkeep.
 

WHO IT SERVES:
The programme caters to indigent people in the following ways:
 
The Sick
 
·        Links patients with the right doctors for accurate examinations and diagnoses
·        Pays for laboratory tests and investigations
·        Settles bills for treatment and hospital admissions
·        Procures drugs and food items
 
Motherless children and orphans
Several motherless infants have been adopted by Alaafia Kwara. These children are provided with baby food supplements and money for their upkeep up to the age of one.
Multiple Babies
·        By May 2008, we already recorded nine multiple births for the year in Kwara State . Two of these set of children lost their mothers.
·        Mothers of multiple births are given money to help cater for the babies and themselves. Where the babies are motherless, they are introduced to baby food supplements (this is based on the advice of doctors) and placed on a monthly stipend for their upkeep.
 

 
NUMBER OF PERSONS WHO HAVE BENEFITTED:
·        About 867 persons have benefited from the Fund between May 2004 and May 2008.
·        25 orphans have been cared for.
·        Forty- six motherless babies receive care from the Fund.
 
 

NUMBER OF PERSONS WHO HAVE BEEN TREATED:
·        The number of persons treated so far is 346 (three hundred and forty- six) children and 121 (one hundred and twenty- one) adults.
·        Ten sets of multiple births have been provided with baby food supplements ( NAN and SMA Gold baby milk).
·        The unit receives an average of 50 mails each month from people soliciting for assistance due to ill health. We try to help all we can within the limit of our financial capabilities.

 
TYPES OF CASES:
Children -: Severe Anaemia, Dehydration, Malnutrition, Sepsis, Malaria Fever, Typhoid Fever, Cerebral Malaria.
Adults - : Caesarian Sections, Cataracts and Appendicitis, Ante-natal care for indigent pregnant women, road traffic accidents, Tuberculosis, Spinal Cord injuries, Kidney and Bladder infections.

 
 STATUS OF PATIENTS:
(a)Economical level – very low
(b) Employment level – patients include petty traders, housewives, widows and the unemployed
(c) Quality of Life – the first 30% are poor and the other 70% are very poor
 
 

 
SPECIAL CASES:
There are cases with financial demand which exceed what the Indigent Scheme can cope with. Ten such cases have been treated. They were ailments ranging from heart disease and orthopeadic defects to other deformities. Some of these cases have been sponsored on reformative surgery trips to countries like India , Israel , South Africa and Ghana .
 
The Alaafia Kwara Indigent Medical Fund was set up by Her Excellency to bring succor to Kwarans who can not afford medical care. They both aim at reducing mortalities for avoidable reasons among children, women and even men who have come under their umbrellas. However, even more can be done if Kwarans come to the aid of this Fund with donations of cash and items that will bring comfort and save lives. It aims at reducing preventable mortality among children, women and  men Kwara State