REPORT PRESENTED BY THE CHAIRMAN/EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF LEUKAEMIA CAREPLUS INITIATIVE AT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES / ANNUAL
GENERAL MEETING OF THE LCPI HELD ON WEDNESDAY, 4TH OCTOBER 2017 AT
THE NATIONAL HOSPITAL ABUJA
Introduction: It is with
joy I present to you this first report of the activities of the Leukaemia
CarePlus Initiative. This organization was set up primarily to create awareness
and to give support to any person living with blood cancer. This is captured in
the vision of the organization, which is to create a community devoid of the fear of blood and
lymphatic cancers, creating awareness with robust information dissemination,
give care, social support and love to those affected and to source for all
modalities of treatment easily accessible and at low-cost, including stem cell
transplantation in fighting blood cancers to a standstill. The aim is actually to demystify
leukaemia and other lymphatic cancers and assist affected patients, live with
dignity and grace.
As you all are aware, blood
cancers like all cancers, has remained an enigma in our society with so much
myth and misunderstanding associated with it even among healthcare workers. It
is also a known fact that our country, Nigeria does not presently have any
clear plan for patients living with leukaemia and other blood cancers.
The idea of setting up this
organization was born in 2015, when still a resident doctor, I observed that
most patients diagnosed of leukaemia and related cancers could not afford their
treatment and had to abandon treatment due to lack of social support. This idea
became intense in 2016, that I approached some of my colleagues and
elders. Some discouraged me, but you
supported me and told me that it could be done. So, I initiated the process of
its registration and give it legal status even though, I did not have the
resources it required.
Establishment: The LCPI was
finally
registered with Corporate Affairs
Commission (CAC) as a non-governmental organization in July 2016 with CAC
registration number 89274. Back in FMC Keffi, that stack reality dawned on me
after we diagnosed two children and an adult at different time, with leukaemia
and all three left against medical advice. This forced me to open an office in
July, 2017 and begin rendering some services. Today I am happy to inform you
that enormous amount of resources have been put in and there are some visible
achievements to report to you.
Achievements:
1.
Office: We have been able to open an office
at LG Cornershops, Abubarkar Burga Road Keffi which was renovated and
furnished to meet the demand of our services. This is an old shop which I
had locked up for a long time. The setting up of the office have consumed the
largest amount of our expenditures and contributed about 70% of the liabilities
of the organization (see statement of Account), most of the vendors who
supplied material for the renovation on personal recognition have not been paid.
As at today, the rent for this year has not been paid, I am still negotiating
with the landlord to write off the rent of this year due to the extensive
renovation carried out.
2.
Bank Account: The organization has opened
an account with Diamond Bank PLC, Keffii. Details: Leukaemia CarePlus
Initiative, Acc. No 0093000106. The account presently have a balance of One
hundred and forty two thousand (N142,679.50) from a N150, 000 loan advance. We
are in the process of opening another account with GTBank .
3.
Staff: The organization is presently
staffed with 1 full time (an Admin officer), 3 Adhoc /temporary and 1 volunteer
(The project Manager) with the chairman as the Executive Director and the
Treasurer/Director of Finance and Personnel acting as the governing body.
4.
Affiliations: We have been accepted as full
members to collaborating NGOs; the Nigerian Network of NGOs (NNNGO) and stop TB
Partnership. We have also been accepted as a member of but is yet to pay the
affiliation fee. We also plan to affiliate and partner with international NGOs
and funding agencies such as Leukaemia CAREUK, ASCO etc. The membership of
these Networking NGOs is essential for visibility and collaborations which is
essential in our work.
5.
Supports and Assistance: Our first client
was a 7year old boy diagnosed of Acute Lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL L3 subtype)
at the FMC Keffi. We managed to convince the parents not to take him away
against medical advice and was able to assist with 3 cycles of chemotherapy and
blood transfusion before patient was discharged home but he did not come back
and on enquiry, we were informed by the father that he recently passed away in
Maiduguri his home town. May his soul rest in peace. Amen.
We
have also assisted two CML patients to run their BCR-ABL diagnostic test at NHA
through some kits donated by Max Foundation
Our
effort have also led the running a TKD mutation analysis test for another CML
patient for free at the City of Hope cancer Centre, California unfortunately,
we have also lost that patient.
6.
Grants: We have
successfully submitted 2 grant applications to the International CML Foundation
(iCMLf) and the TY Danjuma foundation and we are looking forward
to receiving the grants
7.
Awareness campaign: We planned to organize
an awareness rally in Keffi town and a sensitization seminar for the healthcare
workers in FMC Keffi in collaboration with the Department of Haematology, FMC
Keffi. This was scheduled to hold on Wednesday, 27th September 2017 but had to
be postponed due to the health workers strike action that is presently on
doing. We hope to finalize arrangement for the program immediately the strike
is called off. We had also planned to
told a CML patients forum in collaboration with the Department of Haematology,
NHA as part of the 2017 World CML day celebration but this has be put on hold
due to some extraneous factors. The official lunching of the Leukaemia CarePlus
Initiative which was also planned to part of the program is also
on hold.
8.
2018 Project: We plan to have our major
project in Nasarawa state in 2018. The title of the project is titled “Increasing
Awareness, support, care and free treatment of people particularly children
living with blood and Lymphatic cancers in Nasarawa state (ASCAT-N)”. The
project will train community health workers and laboratory technicians in the
primary health centres to recognize early signs and symptoms of blood cancers
and refer appropriately. We also hope to donate microscopes and WBC
differential analysers to selected PHCs. The project is expected to be funded
with grant from the TY Danjuma foundation.
We
are also writing a proposal for a medical mission to my community in Imo state.
This might take place in December or early next year
Finance: The financial
situation of the organization is precarious and needs urgent attention; we
presently have a liability of over seven hundred thousand naira. I, as the
chairman and initiator of this organization have been shouldering the
responsibilities of running the organization by myself without any funding or assistance
from anybody and have spent over Eight hundred thousand naira on my personal
money. I chose not to disturb anybody about money until now, the burden is
getting heavier and I need help. This meeting should decide on how this board
can assist the organization 1. In offsetting these liabilities, 2. Funding of
future projects and patients support and 3. Logistics in running the
organization.
Secretariat: The
secretariat have been very busy and have been able to produce the grant
proposals above and currently writing the proposal for the medical mission.
We have produced an organizational policy
document that highlights how we will accept donations and relationships with
donors and grant providers. We have also designed application / agreement and
assistant application forms for clients. We are thinking of starting work on a
5 year strategic plan with the approval from this board.
Conclusion: I remain
grateful to God Almighty for the grace and enablement to carry on so far and
for our modest achievements. We have actually surpassed my expectations and I
thank you all for the encouragement and support.
I’m also grateful to our
support staff, particularly to Mr Asogo, the volunteer project manager who has
been the brain and engine behind our achievement so far. God brought him at the
right time and he has been working for over two months now without pay
My
vision for this Organization is to a giant national NGO that will be a major
stakeholder in leukaemia and blood cancer care in Nigeria with arms in funding
of research, training, advocacy, treatment and patient support to demystify
blood cancers and give hope to affected patients.
Thank
you
Dr. Ukoma, Chi-kadibia
Chairman/Executive Director
