The Diriwari Tobin Foundation (DTF) says its successful two-day free surgical outreach carried out at the Zonal Hospital, Bonny in Rivers State was aimed at assuaging the plight of fibroid sufferers who could not afford such cost-intensive surgeries.

The surgeries targeted fibroid sufferers in Bonny Local Government Area and was performed by doctors from the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Alakahia, Port Harcourt, with assistance from volunteer nurses and other medical experts from the NLNG RA Hospital, Bonny.

In separate interviews with Kristina Reports, members of the Diriwari Tobin family, owners of the Foundation, expressed their sense of fulfilment in carrying out an intervention to obviate human suffering, which, according to them, was in consonance with the legacy of their demised father, late Diriwari Tobin.

Head of the Sunday Tobin Burusu in the Tobin Chieftaincy House of Bonny Kingdom, Wariopusenibo Golden Tobin noted that it was aimed at sustaining the generosity and humane disposition of their late father, Wariopusenibo Gentle Diriwari Sunday Abraham Tobin.

He added that the goal was to alleviate the sufferings of fibroid patients who could not afford the cost of the required surgery. 

“This is in keeping the legacy of our father, who in his lifetime was generous and kind and would not want to see somebody in pains and he would immediately want to help.”

“That is what we’re trying to do by way of reaching out to persons who have issues, especially, as it concerns fibroid. The cost of the operation is so enormous and a lot of people are living with these things and they cannot go for medical attention.”

“So, we looked at it and said that we will help out as part of keeping the legacy of our father alive. Let us reach out to the helpless who are in this condition, and do not have the wherewithal to actually take care of their health.”

Secretary of the Tobin House, Smart Tobin, who is also the Director of Education in the Diriwari Tobin Foundation, stated that the Foundation, which started in 2008 and incorporated in 2010, has been reaching out to the society through various interventions and decided to do the surgeries in 2024. 

“This foundation did not start today, it started after my dad passed away 2007 and then we started the foundation in 2008 but was incorporated in 2010. Since then, we’ve been doing a lot of activities. Year before last, we did the outreach in Finima where we donated oxygen cylinder and equipment to the Finima Health Centre.

“This year we had to up the game and go into free surgery. We share the little we have with the less privileged in keeping with the legacy of our father in the way he brought us up. So, this is a way of giving back to the society and also help to keep the legacy of our late dad alive.

Also speaking, one of the Directors of the Foundation, Franklyn Tobin attributed the motivation for the social impact initiatives to divine love, stressing that “it is the love of God in our hearts that pushed us here. I mean having benefited immensely from the mercies of God, there is no other better way to give back than to also see that you touch the lives of your fellow mankind”.

“So, this is a way of giving back to the society and it is in the memory and keeping the legacy of our later father, Diriwari Gentle Tobin, and so, we felt this is what we could do also to impact our society.”

“At the Diriwari Tobin Foundation, we focus on Sports, Medicals, Education, and, of course, the Environment. So, these are the four areas we also look at, and this we have been doing over the years. Earlier this year, we were able to support with oxygen and other accessories that goes with it in caring for emergency situations at the Finima Health Center.”

On his part, the Secretary of the Diriwari Tobin Foundation (DTF), Maxwell Tobin informed that “on the whole, 16 myectomies and one Caesarean section were successfully performed on 17 women over the course of the two-days outreach, as well as counselling sessions for the beneficiaries.

He further stated that the DTF focuses on four strategic intervention areas namely; Sports, Medicals, Education, and Environment with several interventions and outreaches done over the years.

“In September 2023, the Foundation supported the Cottage Hospital at Finima in Bonny LGA with oxygen and other medical accessories to enhance its capacity to care for emergency situations.”