By Emmanuel Elebeke
About 11 indigent Nigerians who benefitted from MTN intervention scheme were last week presented to the public by MTN Foundation.

Ms Nonny Ugboma (middle) carrying Baby Abiola Ayobola, a beneficiary of the MTN Foundation Medical Intervention Scheme who was treated of a hole in the heart, flanked by Mr and Mrs Ayobola, during the MTN Thanksgiving party for beneficiaries of MTNF Medical Intervention Scheme in Lagos.

The 11 set of  beneficiaries which comprised nine children and two adults were among the 16 individuals selected for medical treatment in abroad by the telecom giant.

They had chronic ailments treatable but were unable to foot the bills of their treatment until MTN came to their rescue.
The  ailments ranged from heart surgery, breast cancer, plastic surgery and renal failure among other diseases.

In her welcome address at a thanksgiving party organized at the 1960 Eagles Park, Ikeja, Lagos, Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Ms. Nonny Ugboma said that the MTN intervention scheme was conceived by the telecom company to engender strong emotional and social equity for itself and the customers.

She added that MTN was happy to see smiles on the faces of the beneficiaries, after they had undergone through different medical treatments in the far away India.

According the Ugboma, the medical intervention scheme was designed to offer vital medical treatment to indigent individuals with chronic but treatable ailments, whose desperate conditions were subject of media attention and public discourse.

The MTNF Executive Secretary noted that the company had spent millions of naira in this regard and  assured the willingness of the Foundation to do more in the unfolding year by putting smiles on the faces  of more needy Nigerians.

The MTN Medical Intervention scheme started in 2009 and since then had brought succor to the needy and hopeless Nigerians with critical health conditions.

“This gesture is our corporate way of intervention and our own way of demonstrating our deep concern and value for customers. We assure you that we shall go all way out to sustain this relationship. I appreciate and thank our subscribers for their usual support and patronage over the years and urge them to continue in that manner in the years ahead.”

We are not unaway of the sufferings of the so many Nigerians.We shall go all way out to ensure that this intervention initiative  is sustained wether they are MTN subscribers or not, he stated.

She advised Nigerians not to miss any opportunity that may come their way  to help people in needs.
Responding, the mother of one of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Abiola Kasali of Kwara State expressed her gratitude to God for using MTN to rescue the life of her 11 year old baby, Luminat who w ent through a heart surgery.

Also responding on behalf of her child and family, mother of another beneficiary, Mrs. Anita Chijioke said “My baby, Ngozi was diagnosed to have hole in her heart and  doctor said she had only three months to live, due to the hole in her heart. We were asked to bring over two million naira for medical surgery in abroad and when it became clear that we could not bring the money, we lost hope until MTN came to our rescue, even when they do not know who we were” she disclosed.