By Sadiq Daba Speaks On His N1.7m Drug For Leukaemia
Veteran broadcaster, Sadiq Daba who has been down with leukaemia recently revealed in an interview of how his prescribed drug costs him N1.7m and how he has been getting help to secure continuous supply of the pack which lasts for three months.
Mr Daba who was one of the pioneer presenter of NTA’s breakfast show, AM Express was diagnosed of the ailment late 2015 when he thought he had only malaria but was shocked when the Doctor disclosed it to him.
He said, “I thought I had malaria fever. So I went to a hospital in Abuja for a test. After a series of tests, the doctor was shocked. He told me that what I had was beyond them at the hospital. He advised me to seek help from a tertiary institution. Tertiary institution, in this case, simply refers to a university teaching hospital. That was in 2015.
“Then I went to the Dermatology Unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and it was confirmed that I had leukaemia. Fortunately, the disease was not overblown yet. It was still at the early and manageable stage. I was placed on drugs,” he recounted.
Mr Daba’s role in Kunle Afolayan’s October 1st brought him back to limelight of his fans which praised him for his expertise before he came under the disease which have made him close to the hospital.
He disclosed in the interview that since he started using the drug called Gleevac which costs N1.7m he has never paid for it for once as it is been sponsored by Max Foundation, an organisation based in the United States of America with an office at the Teaching Hospital in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife where the only Centre that treats leukaemia in Nigeria is located.
“To get the drug at OAU, you have to go through a process of evaluation. Then you are recommended to the foundation that supplies the drug. But, if you are going to buy it off the counter, a pack of it will cost you about N1.7m. And this will last for three months,” he said.
