Sickle cell patients ask Kebbi assembly to pass bill

The Kebbi State Sickle Cell Association (KESCA) has asked the house of assembly to look into the bill on their matter and pass it to ease their suffering. Speaking to journalists during their monthly forum in Birnin Kebbi, Coordinator of KESCA, Hajiya Hadiza Shantali, said if the bill was passed into law, the challenges facing […]

The Kebbi State Sickle Cell Association (KESCA) has asked the house of assembly to look into the bill on their matter and pass it to ease their suffering.

Speaking to journalists during their monthly forum in Birnin Kebbi, Coordinator of KESCA, Hajiya Hadiza Shantali, said if the bill was passed into law, the challenges facing over 3,000 sickle cell patients in the state would drastically reduce. She said, “We have taken our issues to the state assembly. It has reached the second reading and if passed and fully implemented the lives of sickle cell patients in Kebbi will be better.

“It will help us to address the issue of financial and medical attention we need anytime we visit hospitals.

“There are over 2,882 registered sickle cell patients in Kebbi State, and we are still registering more. They all need medical attention, that’s why we want the house of assembly to expedite action on our matter.”

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Shantali explained that sickle cell usually came with challenges and that because of that, the forum had decided to mentor, distribute drugs to members and educate them on what they were expected to face and how to carry on with their lives.

She further said, “It should not be a burden or reason for any sickle cell patient not to live a normal life. They are warriors; warriors don’t give up.”

She commended the Kebbi State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KECHEMA) for registering 300 of its members for free medical treatment.