Rotary club of Eko Atlantic in collaboration with Ishk Tolaram Foundation has donated N10 million to support the prostrate cancer hospital project being constructed at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital in Ogun State.
Speaking to newsmen, the Opportunity President, Rotary Club of Eko Atlantic, Rotn. Vinod Kaurani, said the club members, especially the secretary, Rotn. Rochit Abbi, with the support of the foundation, donated the money as part of its contribution towards ending prostrate cancer among Nigerian men.
Kaurani said prostrate cancer has been in Nigeria for a long time and requires more attention than it is getting, adding that, though, there are free screenings, the hospital will be a foot print and a benchmark for effective treatment of prostate cancer in Nigeria.
“We were able to put together support from our sponsors, which is Ishk Tolaram Foundation and they have given us the support of N10 million, in which we from the Rotary Club of Eko Atlantic presented the money to the project of Prostrate Cancer Hospital that is being monitored by the District Governor.
“We see it as beneficial to the Nigerian populace and I think this hospital is going to be a footprint and a benchmark for treatment to start taking place more effectively to Nigerian men,” he said.
Kaurani further added that the club would provide more support to ensure the completion of the hospital by June 30, 2021.
“The DG said funds are still required and with the devaluation of the naira, the requirement of the funds went from N82million to N105 million due to the currency devaluation. Definitely we will make some more efforts to ensure we can put more funds together for the this project to get completed before June 30, 2021,” he added.
The Chairman of Tolaram Group and founder of Ishk Tolaram Foundation, Mr Mohan Vaswani along with the Managing Director of Lagos Free Zone, Rotn. Dinesh Rathi, Chief Operating Officer, Ishk Tolaram Foundation, Ms Divya Patel and Programme Director, Ishk Tolaram Foundation, Ms Neha Mehra said the foundation will continue to support the completion of the prostrate cancer hospital.
They said the foundation focuses on education and health as its corporate social responsibility to the society, adding that the fund donated is to help support the fight against prostrate cancer among Nigerian men and to help them live better lives.
They said the foundation will continue to support the provision of healthcare in Nigeria as its way of giving back to the society, in which its business is situated to ensure indigent people also have access to quality healthcare.
Also speaking, the Assistant Governor, Rotary District 9110, who also doubles as the Adviser to the Rotary Club of Eko Atlantic, Rotn. Sanjeev Tandon, reassured that the club would continue to support in healthcare delivery in the country, as well as continue to ensure prostrate cancer is eradicated in the country.
Receiving the cheque, the District Governor, Rotary Club International District 9110, Nigeria, Rotn. Bola Oyebade, commended the donation from the club, noting that it will go along way to support the construction of the prostrate cancer facility.
He said the initial projection for the facility was N82million, which later rose to N105 million due to the inflation and the devaluation of the naira.
Oyebade added that while the funds received is close to 40 percent of the money budgeted for the project, the donation of the Rotary Club of Eko Atlantic, which is 10 percent of the entire funds will help in ensuring the fast completion of the project, which is scheduled to be completed by June 30, 2021.
“This particular Rotary year is for us to complete the construction of the prostrate cancer project not later than June 2021 and thereafter we start equipping the facility and move on. I am excited about the donation of today. Their donation is 10 percent of what we require to construct the facility. Right now we have spent close to about 40 percent of what we need on the building.
“The intention is that at the end of the construction of the prostate cancer hospital, we will donate it to Olabisi Onabanjo University Hospital Management so that they can use the facility to further ameliorate the suffering of men battling with prostrate cancer,” he said.
