In furtherance of its Corporate Social Responsibility ideals, Caverton Offshore Support Group Plc (COSG), the leading provider of marine, aviation and logistics services to local and international oil and gas companies in Nigeria, has partnered with the Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria (SCFN) to help persons with sickle cell disorder (SCD) lead normal lives.
Bode Makanjuola, Chief Executive officer of Caverton Offshore Support Group recently presented a N10m donation to the Foundation to pay for joint replacement surgery for persons with avascular necrosis of the hip and shoulder joints.
The donation was received by the Founder and Chairman of the foundation, Olu Akinyanju.
The SCFN was established in 1994 for the purpose of driving sickle cell research, providing appropriate care for affected persons, educating on proper management of the disorder and to drive the establishment of State Sickle Cell Centres across the country.
SCD is a genetic disorder that is a life-long condition which is curable only by stem cell transplantation. With appropriate management, persons affected by SCD can lead better quality lives. In Nigeria, 1 in 4 persons carries the sickle cell trait (HbAS) and over 150,000 babies are born each year with sickle cell anaemia (HbSS). Most of these children die in infancy due to lack of care, ignorance and misinformation. With education and care, the lives of the babies can be improved and much prolonged into adulthood.
Avascular necrosis (AVN) occurs when the bone at the head of the femur withers off and can no longer fit properly into the hip joint leading to pain and difficulty in walking and moving around. Patients with this condition most times are unable to live a normal life of going to school, to work, etc.
The replacement surgery is expensive ranging from N2m in Nigeria to N7.5m when performed in South Africa and India. Thankfully, the surgery can be performed at the National Orthopedic Hospital in Igbobi, etc.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Makanjuola thanked the founder for the good work he is doing at the Foundation.
“He is a great doctor of our generation and hopefully our small token will bring succour to the patients”, he said.
Responding, Akinyanju stated “we are happy and very grateful that COSG decided to help about 5 patients who require the surgery. I have known the COSG founders for many years and I’m happy to have them support our joint replacement initiative.”
Caverton had also made a donation of N5m in 2011 towards the installation of solar powered lights at the National Sickle Cell Centre to address the challenges with burglary due to lack of proper lighting at night.
The Foundation, which is a non-profit organization, is calling for support from individuals and corporate bodies.
Sade Williams
