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I was pounding away on my laptop when the ping of a message alert jolted me to attention. I picked up my phone and read the message. I was appalled. Ignoring the message was the only option at that point in time as I went back to work. My phone kept buzzing with pings but I decided to ignore them until I was done with my work.
Hours later, I picked my phone and glanced through the messages. I was more than taken aback when I saw two among the messages from different persons broadcasting what I had earlier read and ignored.
The message read:
“Concerning the free surgery advert: “Please don’t advise anyone you know to go o. They are taking people’s organs to resell them overseas. That’s what they do during their surgeries. Medical associations are currently on the look out to prosecute such health service providers.”
Getting on Facebook, I also discovered that the message has spread like a wildfire and become the topic of discussion on many pages and groups. And, of course, the gullible swallowed the rumor hook and sinker and had nothing but toxic comments about the planned free surgery from Hova’s Place Hospital. I was compelled to join one of such updates to clear the air and I want to use this medium to reiterate again that there’s no such thing as organ theft from surgery patients for sale abroad. It is absolutely a false rumor!
In 2012, September to be precise, the 1st of such initiative was spearheaded by Hosanna Hospital at Festac, supported by ARSPON (Association of Rural Surgical Practitioners of Nigeria) in conjunction with a Local Government Councilor, Adetayo Adegbembo. The turnout was unprecedented and it was a massive success. GRANDSCOPE Media was there live and I personally interviewed the Councilor in question and covered proceedings. The public was given details of activities and there was no single death recorded for all the surgeries performed. 67 surgeries were performed in two days, aside other treatments. Encomiums are still being showered on Hosanna Hospital, its Medical Director, Dr. Chikodi Onyemkpa and the collaborators who made it happen.
Since another hospital wishes to do same for the public, we see no reason why the initiative should be rubbished. The rumors and attacks are uncalled for. If there was actually such practice of sale of human organs, Nigerians and patients would have spoken out a long ago. Why is it coming out now on social media when another initiative is about to start, if not because someone somewhere feels uneasy about his profit dwindling as a result of the free services. Grandscope fully supports this community initiative to help abate health challenges for those who cannot afford the cost of proper medical treatment and surgery.
The Medical Director of Hova’s Hospital, in an effort to clear the name of her medical institution and charity organization, has denied that the main purpose of her ‘free’ medical treatment is to harvest free organs from poor patients in Nigeria, when reached on phone by Jagunmolu ‘OluwaDare Lasisi, a Journalist based abroad.
When asked to explain why and who started the smear campaign to damage the reputation of their hospital since there is no smoke without fire, Dr. O.P Ani reacted thus:
“My brother, I just don’t know who started this rumor. Our non-governmental organization is called ‘Mission to Save Sight Africa’ and we have a website (www.mtssaf.org). Members of the State Security Service and some officials from the Lagos state government came here this morning (yesterday) to investigate. We have nothing to hide. Nigerians always suspect free initiative.”
So we enjoin you all to take advantage of this initiative which offers three days of free surgeries such as Prostrate, Fibroid, Thyroid, Lumps, Hernia, Appendix, Hydrocele, Virginal Prolepses etc at: The Hova’s Place Hospital & Clinic 5TH AVENUE, T – CLOSE, HOUSE 23, FESTAC Town, Amuwo Odofin, LAGOS.
Programme of Events:
Screening: 15th- 23rd July 2013.
Selection: 24th July
Surgeries: 25th – 27th July.
By Tayo Faloye.
