By Mohammed Lawal
The Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria (IMAN), Kaduna State Chapter, says it will establish a hospital to take care of health needs of Muslims and other people in the state.
It’s Amir, Abubakar Isa-Balarabe said this to Newsmen on the sideline of a lecture organised by IMAN chapter of the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), held at the hospital, Shika, Zaria on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the lecture is entitled: “Appraisal of Politics and Unionism on Health Care Delivery in Nigeria.”
The lecture was one of the series of activities lined-up for the association’s 5th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Health Week Programme for 2019.
The Amir said the move to establish the hospital was born out of the desire to extend a helping hand to the less privileged especially in the area of healthcare services.
“In the event of any problem, sickness or crisis, Muslims are always at the receiving end, because they don’t know where to go, they are the ones going about with hospital papers seeking for help.
“Therefore, the move by IMAN ABUTH to render free medical services to people is actually a welcome development and the programme is progressively increasing annually.
“Even in surgery, it has been scaled up to about 140 beneficiaries this year.
“In line with this progressive achievements, by the grace of Almighty Allah, we want to establish our own hospital bearing IMAN in Kaduna State to cater for the health needs of people especially the less privileged,” he said.
Isa-Balarabe said the hospital, if established, would not provide services free-of-charge, but subsidise its charges to enable the downtrodden access quality healthcare services.
He appealed to well-to-do individuals of the society especially Muslims to meaningfully contribute towards the actualisation of the hospital for the common good of all Nigerians.
“I want our people to be mindful of the fact that there are many less privileged persons who cannot afford to pay for simple treatment in hospitals.
“Prophet (SAW) said, we should love for our brothers what we love for ourselves. Some of us travel out of Nigeria for medical treatment of some sickness that could be treated here at home
“Why shouldn’t they be treated here in Nigeria and convert the remaining funds into ‘Sadaqatijjariya’ so that other less-privileged can benefit from it?
“The millions of Naira people spend on buying expensive cars, erecting mansions or incessant marriages that don’t last long would have been used on what will fetch them endless rewards from Allah,” he said.
According to him, health is not the only area that requires assistance, one can extend a helping hand to education, skills acquisition and other meaningful areas toward uplifting the lives of the people.
The Amir described investment on such kinds of ventures as Sadaqatijjariya, “a good act with consistent multiple reward”, hence the need for all to holistically invest to gain Allah’s reward.
He, however, stressed that medical practitioners would not in anyway increase lifespan of a patient, but only help to relieve pains and suffering, adding that they treat but Almighty Allah heals.
“As a health worker, you have an unwritten agreement with your Creator that you are going to serve humanity, so, apart from the physical work you do, through your ‘Taqawa’ (fear of Allah), you have served humanity.
“Whenever you link your activity, your work or profession with reward from Allah, you know what you are doing.
“I must seize this opportunity to call on our leaders to bear in mind that whatever position you are occupying if you don’t put Islamic touch on it, you are going astray.
“Because Allah (SWT) said He did not create Man and Jinn except to worship Him, so whatever you do, do it as an act of worship,” he advised.
The Amir observed that the socio-economic life of people was continuously deteriorating because they refused to put Almighty Allah in the fore of everything.
While applauding the efforts of IMAN ABUTH for a wonderful job, the Amir enjoined all other chapters across the country to emulate the good gesture demonstrated by them.
“We’ve seen a lot, we’ve touched hearts, we’ve done a medical caravan, we’ve done surgeries, we’ve seen how we lift the lives of the downtrodden,” he added.
NAN reports that the IMAN ABUTH 2019 Health Week Programme, also offered free surgical and ophthalmic operation to 140 patients and attended to over 2,500 patients.
It also offered free medical services to over 300 Almajiris and donated food, cardigans and other basic items to them at Hayin Katsinawa, Shika in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State. (NAN)
