First Call Aid Charitable Foundation, a non-governmental organisation committed to emergency healthcare intervention, has donated essential medical equipment worth millions of naira for saving lives in emergency situations to Idu Primary Health Center in Karimo, Abuja.
Speaking during the donation, chairperson of the foundation, Mrs. Khadijat Fashina, stressed that the emergency kits represent the foundation’s dedication to offering hope and relief during emergency, particularly for those facing financial challenges.
She said, “The launch of these emergency kits reinforces our mission to make emergency services accessible and sustainable for all, particularly in the Federal Capital Territory.”
She said further that the kits “represent our unwavering commitment to compassion and support for those facing financial constraints.
“We envision a future where emergency services are accessible and free for everyone in the Federal Capital Territory and across Nigeria.
“Achieving this goal will require collaboration with stakeholders, hospitals, and the public, built on the foundation values of trust and integrity.”
“Together, I believe we can create the change that we so desperately need in this sector,” Fashina stated.
She added that since its launch in November 2024, the foundation has focused on filling critical gaps in emergency healthcare, ensuring that no life is lost due to a lack of immediate medical intervention.
“In the past four months, we have donated emergency kits to Garki Hospital, Gwarinpa General Hospital, and the National Hospital.
“Our goal is to establish emergency help desks in every general hospital across Nigeria.
“We identified a dire need for delivery kits for pregnant women who could not afford them. To address this, First Call Aid donated 30 delivery kits containing sanitary pads, macintosh sheets, cord clamps, cotton wools, mucus extractor, latex gloves, olive oil, and methylated spirit . Additionally, the foundation provided 100 chairs, a BP apparatus for vital sign checks, and a storage shelf for medical files.
“We can’t always wait for the government to act. As individuals in a democratic society, we are also part of the government. Change starts with us,” she said, even as she called on Nigerians to support humanitarian efforts.
The donations included 100 chairs, 30 maternal kits, shelf for medical records, and repair of access ramp to improve entry into the facility.
The officer in charge of the hospital, Mrs. Esther Odiba, while receiving the kits on behalf of the health centre, described the gesture as a much-needed intervention in the healthcare sector.
According to Odiba, it was heartwarming to see individuals and organiaations interested in the welfare of patients, especially those who cannot afford hospital bills.
“We will ensure that these items are used judiciously for the patients they are intended for,” she said.
She shared a heartbreaking story of a pregnant woman who arrived in labor at 1 a.m. without even a pair of gloves.
“We had nothing to attend to her with. We waited for patient relative to bring the necessary items, but when the person’s phone became unreachable, she had no choice but to leave,” she recounted.
For many in rural communities, access to basic healthcare items is a luxury they cannot afford.
The health worker revealed that, prior to the donation, she had attempted to purchase supplies on her own as donation to indigent patients, but the high cost made it impossible.
The joy and relief from the donation were palpable.
“When I saw the vehicle coming with chairs, I couldn’t contain my excitement. I shouted so loudly that my colleagues were startled,” she added.
This marks the first time the health center has received such a significant donation. Previously, the only other support came from a military research team, which donated two iron chairs and two examination couches during a smallpox study.
Unlike that visit, the First Call Aid Foundation’s donation was purely an act of charity, with no strings attached.
She also called on other well-meaning Nigerians to support similar initiatives, emphasizing the dire conditions in local communities.
“Many mothers deliver here with nothing for their babies to wear. Some go an entire day without food. Often, I find myself using my own money to buy them meals,” she lamented.
The foundation was established in 2019, born out of a profound need to provide support for emergency situations in hospitals.
Items donated by the organization to the Idu Primary Health Center include 30 delivery kits containing sanitary pads, macintosh sheets, mucus extractors, methylated spirits and olive oil. Additionally, the foundation provided 100 chairs, a BP apparatus for vital sign checks, and a storage shelf for medical files.
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