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By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
A non-governmental organisation, Jheri Help Accident Victims Initiative, JHERI HAVI Foundation, has reaffirmed its commitment to assisting accident victims in need of emergency care, particularly in public health institutions in Lagos.
The foundation, on June 19, organised a concert to celebrate this year’s Father’s Day and used the opportunity to raise funds for accident victims.
Jheri Blake,Apostle Haruna Success, Pillaz, Peterson Okopi of the ‘Osuba Re ma re o eh’ fame, Toeyoursea, Vic Da Praise, Sunny Messiah and others featured in the concert to help accident victims in the state.
The initiative, which is part of Blake’s passion for saving road accident victims, is aimed at swiftly intervening and helping critically injured victims.
No doubt, many citizens are dying daily on Nigeria’s pothole-infested roads and sometimes due to recklessness on the part of drivers. However, many of the deaths could be averted, if medical help comes to the victims.Poised to change the narrative, JHAVI entered into a partnership with some members of his family and friends, and they have been paying for medical expenses for victims, including surgeries.
Jerry Blake, popularly known as Jheri, is an indigene of Oyo State and a gospel artiste who had an accident on June 13, 2007, that almost claimed his life but escaped by the whiskers.
Blake narrated his ordeal and how he spent 107 days in the hospital. He said he had extensive tissue damage and four surgeries at Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Lagos.
“I was a corps member then and was serving in Plateau State. I had some jobs to execute in Lagos and I travelled to Lagos. On arrival, I boarded a motorcycle and the rider ran into a trailer and my right leg was damaged, from my knee to the ankle.“The experience at the hospital was traumatic because other victims in the ward where I was admitted died and I became scared. It was at the hospital that I made a pledge to God that, if He saved me, part of my earnings would be used to support other victims. And I have done so since 2008, though the NGO was incorporated in 2017.
“I started using my talent to support accident victims without looking back. I organise a benefit concert three times a year to support accident victims.
“Initially, I was donating medical equipment to public health institution. I started with Nigeria Navy Reference Hospital, where I was admitted and treated. Thereafter, it was followed by Igbobi Orthopaedic Hospital, to handling cases of victims that are critical. There are several cases in the hospital that need urgent help. I have used personal fund and that of my family members to achieve this lot,” Blake said.
He stated that the organisation provides emergency medical assistance and care to indigent or vulnerable patients in public hospitals and communities and supports other health initiatives to reduce people’s plight.He further said: “While at the hospital, my leg was not healing and I had undergone four surgeries. I fell into depression. Most times, accident victims experience trauma and need courage and care to surmount the challenge.
Some may equally fall into depression. In order to prevent such, victims’ family members and kind-hearted Nigerians should give moral support to salvage the situation.
“The hospital lacked an equipment to remove the bandages on my wound then. They would use razor blades to unwrap it and it was very painful.
“When I left the hospital, the first thing I did was getting that equipment,a POP cutter
and other medical equipment for donation. In the course of the donation, I met a 10-year-old fire accident victim and another boy at Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Ojo, I and family members had to raise money and we paid for their surgeries.”
Blake added that, in order to help these victims, he decided to be creative and collaborate with members of the public by ensuring they play a supportive role in getting accident victims to hospitals for treatment through the benefit concerts.
He noted that the way people react to accident victims could determine whether they will survive it, suffer permanent disability or die, adding that the overall solution is to get people to support and fund victims of accidents.
“One of the most serious problems in rescuing accident victims is that many people rush them to government hospitals for treatment but abandon the patients there. There are always constraints to offset the bills,” Blake said.
