As SAGA donates $7.3 million worth of medical equipment

Shina Abubakar, Osogbo

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has disclosed that the burden of service delivery should not only be vested in the government but be shared with philanthropic organisations.

The Governor made the disclosure on Wednesday, while formally receiving $7.3 million worth of medical equipment and hospital-related items donated to the State General Hospital, Ila-Orangun, by a Non-profitable organisation, Shola Agboola Goodwill Ambassador SAGA, foundation.

The medical equipment which includes ambulance stretchers, crutches, examination tables, hospital beds with mattresses, Oxygen, concentrators, walkers, and wheelchairs, among others, was provided to the SAGA foundation by the government of Canada.

Speaking at the event, the Governor described charity groups, as a strong bridge between the government and the people, emphasizing that there is a need for more progressive partnerships in the educational, health and environmental sectors in other.

Adeleke said, “In developed society charity organizations play a critical role in the delivery of social services from health to education to the environment. Charity groups are strong bridges between the government and the people.

“That explains the reasons why Europe and North America are somehow more advanced and more settled, in this foreign community the full burden of service delivery is not just on the government it was a shared responsibility between the government and the philanthropic organization. Several private firms took corporate social responsibility, support charity groups, and the inturn service to the people.

“We need not introduce that system here in Osun state we must encourage local and international charity groups to support citizenry in various social sectors.

“Our government will consider introducing a policy framework to provide an enabling environment for the philanthropic groups to thrive.”

Reinstating his commitment to improving the depleted health sector in the country, the founder and CEO of SAGA Foundation, Shola Agboola enjoined Gov. Adeleke to attract foreign investment and promote functional education at all levels in other to completely eradicate poverty in the state.

Agboola stressed, “Charity donation is very important to elevate poverty, but it can never completely remove poverty, what is going to remove poverty is the economic prosperity of your state, is to attract foreign investment to the state of Osun, is to be able to attract and promote education at the highest level so that the people of Osun will be able to compete with their counterpart anywhere in the world.”