ISE Spreads Love To Hospitals, Custodial Centre At Ramadan
The Islamic Society of Eggonland (ISE), an Islamic charity organisation, in the spirit of Ramadan, has spread love to hospitals and a custodial centre (prison) within the Nasarawa North Senatorial zone of Nasarawa State, Nigeria.
For over five hours on Monday April 19, 2021 – equivalent to the 7th day in the month of Ramadan in the year 1442 AH – officials of the ISE led by the General Secretary, Alhaji Umar Abdullahi Galle and accompanied by some volunteers, moved from place to place within Nassarawa Eggon, Akwanga and Wamba Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State, distributing some essential items to the needy.
The places visited include six health facilities and one custodial centre.
The six health facilities that were visited are General Hospital Nassarawa Eggon, Mokwa Clinic Nassarawa Eggon, Primary Health Care Clinic Nassarawa Eggon, Akun Clinic Nassarawa Eggon, Primary Health Care Clinic Gidan Waya and Model (General) Hospital Akwanga.
The Wamba custodial centre of the Nigeria Correctional Service was also visited.
At the health facilities visited, items such as packs of bottled water, lucozade boost, fruit juice, tins of peak milk and milo were given to patients on admission. The officials of ISE also said words of prayer and encouragement for the patients who could not hide their joy and gratitude.
And in the normal fashion of the Islamic Society of Eggonland, there was no discrimination either on the basis of religion or tribe of the patients who got the items.
Ari Yohanna, one of the patients our correspondent was able to speak to, was being treated for injuries sustained from a motorcycle accident at the Model (General) Hospital Akwanga, was full of appreciation.
He said: “I don’t know how to express my gratitude to the Islamic Society of Eggonland because these gifts I have received will really help in taking off some of the pressure from me and my family. All I can say is that I pray God will replenish the resources they have used and bless them so that they can do even more.”
Also, for the first time since the ISE began visiting health facilities during the month of Ramadan, there was also something for the facility itself. The ISE went beyond giving to the patients to also giving to the hospital. They were given wheelchairs to aid in moving patients who may be unable to walk on their own.
The General Hospital at Nassarawa Eggon and Model Hospital Akwanga received three wheelchairs each while the other four health facilities received one each. That makes it a total of 10 wheelchairs distributed by the ISE.
Presenting the wheelchairs to the various health facilities, General Secretary of the Islamic Society of Eggonland (ISE) appealed to the management to make judicious use of the wheelchairs so that they will serve the purpose for which they were donated.
In response, the management of the various health facilities promised to do so. They appreciated the gesture by the Islamic Society of Eggonland.
Dr. Gonji Thomas, the Chief Medical Superintendent of the Model Hospital Akwanga who received the three wheelchairs on behalf of the hospital said: “The wheelchairs are going to go a long way in helping our patients that are not able to walk. We will be able to carry them round to the wards and to the various units for proper diagnosis and treatment.”
He commended the ISE for improving on what they gave last year and prayed for God to bless them so they can continue improving as the years go by.
At the Wamba Custodial Centre of the Nigeria Correctional Services, even though the ISE appealed to be allowed to meet with the inmates so as to share some words of encouragement and pray with them in the spirit of Ramadan, it was not possible because of the lockdown at the facility caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ISE however presented food items that will bolster the quantity and quality of food given to the inmates.
The food items include five bags of rice, two bags of maize, two big cartons of dried fish, two bags of grounded millet (mixed with some condiments), one jerrycan of vegetable oil, two bags of sugar, one carton of seasoning cubes and salt.
Receiving the items, the Superintendent in-Charge of the Wamba Custodial Centre, Ifraimu Ibrahim appreciated the gesture by the charity organisation.
He said the efforts and goodwill from organisations such as the Islamic Society of Eggonland helps in reminding the inmates that they have not been forgotten or rejected by the society.
Apologising for the inability to let the ISE meet with the inmates, Ifraimu Ibrahim said: “Unfortunately, the issue of the pandemic is still on. You can see me with my facemask. And now we have done what we call temporary lock-up. That means we have locked them. It is only few of the inmates that are outside, those in the kitchen section preparing their meals. But almost all my inmates are in.
“And by the law, the privilege of seeing them, to have access to them, it may not be there but I believe you will bear with us. As life continues, by the time the pandemic is over, you will have a free access to them to share whatsoever you want with them, to encourage them, to advise them so that they will leave this place and become better members of the society.”
He promised that no staff of his will divert any of the food items and they will all be consumed by the inmates.
Speaking to journalists after the exercise, General Secretary of the Islamic Society of Eggonland, Alhaji Umar Abdullahi Galle said the organisation set out on the exercise to give happiness to people that needed it the most, particularly patients in the hospital and inmates in correctional facilities, saying that such acts were also in fulfilment of their spiritual obligations especially in the month of Ramadan.
He said: “These people are a critical segment of our population that are in critical need. And we are happy today that we met their needs. And also the patients in the hospital, we are also happy that we have met one of their needs which is food.
“And what we gave them will make a lot of impact in their stay in the hospital and in this facility because food is life. And looking at the economy today, people need support. The life is expensive for people that are even walking around talk more of people that are in custody or in the hospital on admission.
“We are happy we have touched their lives today. And this has been in the series. Two years ago we extended a similar gesture in these places I mentioned earlier. We gave them the same thing we gave them today. So we are able to sustain what we started. And we want to sustain it beyond three years. We want to come back to this facility next Ramadan to extend a similar gesture.”
On the wheelchairs which were donated to health facilities, the ISE General Secretary said: “Since we started, this is the first time we are also giving to the hospital. We gave them wheelchairs. We gave a total of 10 wheelchairs. This is because we know the government alone cannot meet these needs.
“But we told the management of these health facilities that wheelchairs are not to be kept in the store but to be used for sick persons and pregnant women who may not be able to walk on their own.”
He appreciated the ISE sponsors whose generosity has made it possible for them to carry out such activities. He also thanked the volunteers for sacrificing their time and energy to see to the success.
The Islamic Society of Eggonland (ISE) apart from these acts of charity to the needy at Ramadan, also sponsors tafsir in Eggon language in some electronic media channels in Nasarawa State. They also give scholarships to students of higher institutions of learning.
