A team of Nigerian and international surgeons has commenced a week-long medical mission at the Noma Children’s Hospital, Sokoto, providing free reconstructive surgeries to indigent patients suffering from severe head and neck conditions.
The humanitarian initiative is spearheaded by the Kindred Health Surgical Foundation, in partnership with Noma Children’s Hospital, to deliver life-changing procedures that typically cost between ₦350,000 and ₦500,000 at no cost to beneficiaries.
Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Abubakar Abdullahi Bello, described the program as a “turning point” for patients who had long been unable to access specialized care.
“Some of these surgeries are very expensive. In other facilities, patients could be charged ₦300,000 to ₦400,000. But here, they get it free of charge, without paying a penny,” Dr. Bello said.
He explained that while the hospital provides operating theaters, wards, and laboratory support, the foundation funds the surgeries, medical personnel, and post-operative care.
Most beneficiaries are children affected by noma, a devastating infection that destroys facial tissue, leaving survivors disfigured, stigmatized, and socially isolated.
Professor Jacob Ndas Legbo, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) and leader of the surgical team, said between 30 and 50 patients would benefit from this intervention.
“The foundation focuses on three things: training young surgeons, providing surgical equipment, and supporting indigent patients,” Prof. Legbo explained. “This mission targets head and neck pathologies, ENT, maxillofacial, and reconstructive surgeries.”
He noted that the Kindred Health Surgical Foundation, established in 2023 in collaboration with American ENT surgeon Dr. Dave Shaye of Project Life, plans to make such interventions regular rather than one-off.
“This is just the beginning,” Prof. Legbo said. “With the support we have now, we intend to mount interventions like this more frequently to help hospitals treat patients who cannot afford care.”
The outreach, supported by the Sokoto State Ministry of Health led by Commissioner Dr. Faruk, is open to patients from Sokoto and beyond who meet surgical requirements.
For many beneficiaries, this mission represents more than just medical treatment, it is the restoration of hope, dignity, and the chance to live free from pain and stigma.
