The wife of the Enugu State Governor, Mrs. Monica Ugwuanyi, in keeping with her commitment to the wellbeing of the people of the state, especially the lowly and under-privileged women and children, yesterday donated drugs to the state’s Ministry of Health for distribution to the 17 local government areas to assist in the forthcoming Free Maternal and Child Health week.
Donating the drugs, Mrs. Ugwuanyi disclosed that the action was in furtherance of her utmost desire to assist the indigent people, especially women and children who are sick, through her pet project – Ugo Touch of Life Foundation (U-TOLF).
The drugs, namely Multi Vitamins for pregnant women; Albendazole tablets for de-worming of children and Vitamin A supplements, according to the First Lady, were received from her donor partner, the Vitamin Angel.
She explained that U-TOLF has been in existence prior to her becoming the governor’s wife, adding that both parties (U-TOLF AND Vitamin Angel) have sustained a long working relationship based on trust, honesty and goodwill.
She said: “We are here to donate drugs we received from our donor partner, the Vitamin Angel, to the Enugu State Ministry of Health for onward distribution to the 17 local government councils of the state. The drugs will assist them in the forthcoming Free Maternal and Child Health week.
“When we are doing this, we are not only helping the state but the nation and you must not be in government before you can help somebody. This Ugo Touch of Life Foundation is an age long organization. Even before I became the wife of the governor and it has been sustained because our donors know that we are honest, any drug they give to us we distribute to the designated beneficiaries, and this has made the exercise sustainable.
“The Vitamin Angel, our donor has those assorted drugs and they have been assisting us immensely, so whether I am in government or not, I must continue to impact positively on someone’s life”.
Also speaking, the state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Fintan Ekochin described Mrs. Ugwuanyi as a philanthropist who has been ameliorating the plight of the less privileged in the society through her pet project and other humanitarian gestures.
“Any time our First Lady and her pet project, U-TOLF call the State Ministry of Health, I am gladdened because I know that they have something to give to the state. They are rare philanthropists.
“This is actually selfless service in action. You realize that state government cannot do everything; there must be collaboration for us to succeed. The quantity of drugs here are adequate for the Free Maternal and Child Health week. You have saved the state between ten to fifteen million naira.
“The drugs are valid ones and the expiry date is very far. The ministry will share it accountably to the 17 local government areas of the state. Every local government will get seven and each one contains one thousand tablets, therefore, seven thousand children will benefit from the free drug. There are eighty bottles of de-worming tablets for eighty women in six months,” the commissioner noted.
The U-TOLF Consultant, Dr. Stanley Okere; the organization’s Head of Administration, Barrister Mrs. Onyinyechi Anichukwu; the Director of Pharmaceuticals, Enugu State Ministry of Health, Mr. Casmir Odo, among others, commended the First Lady’s gesture and urged the would-be beneficiaries to avail themselves of the opportunity to access free healthcare services in the state.
