No fewer than 2,000 indigent people from Urunnevo Ozom Community in Enugwu-Ukwu, Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, have benefited from a medical outreach sponsored by an indigene, Dr Charles Ajaegbu, in collaboration with Urunnevo Improvement Union.
The exercise, which sparked excitement across the community was conducted by a medical team from Ribbon Care Volunteer Network and it involved the treatment and provision of drugs for the beneficiaries, after a free medical diagnosis conducted in the community, over the weekend.
The initiative, which featured a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals was aimed to improve access to essential health services for underserved communities.
Beneficiaries, including mostly the elderly and women received a wide range of services, including general medical consultations, dental and eye examinations, diabetes and hypertension screenings, malaria, mental health assessments, and the distribution of medications, eyeglasses and hygiene supplies.
Speaking to journalists at the community’s Primary Healthcare Centre and Obu Ozom Hall, venue of the medical outreach, the President-General of Urunnevo Improvement Union, Norbert Ajaegbu, noted that the exercise is aimed to improve access to essential health services for the less-privileged who could not access healthcare.
Ajaegbu said although the exercise involved huge financial cost, it was necessary that the less privileged among the people were given a sense of belonging, especially at this period of economic hardship.
He said, “We realised that health is wealth and that a whole lot of people were dropping dead due to one illness or the other and we know what he economy is talking about. The greater problem is that a lot the people who might want to access healthcare may not do that because of lack of access.
“As a result of this and to promote wellness and general well-being in the community, we, therefore, decided that we need to provide free medical access for our people and to be able to sustain it, we decided to establish a medical outreach where majority of them will have an access to doctors who will get their prescriptions and will be able to put out their routine drugs to enable them sustain themselves.
“So, this free medical treatment will continue for the next couple of weeks. As far as we are concerned, our target is for every indigent who is resident in Urunnevo community. Whatever it will cost, we want to take care of our people, especially those with killer diseases such as malaria, blood pressure and diabetes. We want to make sure that people suffering from these diseases don’t lack drugs.
“We have a primary healthcare centre here recognised by the state government. Doctors are going to be visiting on a specified number of days. We held a meeting with the doctors and we were given assurance that they will be visiting on regular basis to do checkup for people.
“And whenever there is the need for this type of outreach, we will organise it at no cost to our people as we will have the drugs available at the Primary Healthcare Centre. Beyond the diagnosis check-ups, free drugs and eyeglasses were provided for the people free. A team of reputable pharmaceutical companies with variety of drugs are on ground to meet the healthcare need of the beneficiaries who turned out for the event.
“These number of days the doctors will be here to make sure they do checkup for people but whenever there is the need for this outreach we will do it again. Without any cost they (our people) will have the drugs available at the centre.”
Also speaking, the team leader of the Ribbon Care Volunteer Network and Director of Administration at Iyi Enu Mission Hospital, Ogidi, now University on the Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Dr Nonso Anaene, said the interest of the doctors and nurses is to ensure that people in the remote villages and other underserved communities have access to quality healthcare.
Anaene noted that most commonly ailments such as blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, malaria and typhoid fever, eye problems and other general health challenges, detected were adequately treated by the over 40 medical personnel on ground including doctors and nurses.
According to him, other people who have more serious health issues were given beds and treatment at the primary healthcare centre.
“We are determined to ensure that the people are healthy and fit wherever they are in our villages, communities and local government areas. Every year, we make out time and opportunity to search out a community or village where we can take our outreach to in order to provide the people there with free medical outreach.
“This is once in a year and it’s self sponsor. All that is required from the would-be beneficiaries is to provide us with convenient spaces like halls and other things which will help our work,” Anaene added.
On his part, one of the beneficiaries, Elder Gilbert Anaekee said, “I am so happy that I don’t know how to express it. I wish this gesture remains and comes to us all everyday and every time. I know how much I have spent going to hospitals, but this one today is free of charge; it has brought us much joy and happiness.
“We are praying God to bless those who have made this possible and to bless you all who came to join us in this. It’s a thing of joy and happiness.”
Also speaking, Columbus Ogbonnaya Nwobi said, “I am so glad about the whole thing that words cannot say it. My prayer is whosoever did this may God do more than this for him, bless him; his going out and coming in will smooth and so shall it be for his children’s children.”
The Deputy Chairman of Njikoka LGA, Fidelia Okafor, expressed gratitude to the sponsors, as well as the leadership of the community for remembering the people of the community.
“We are happy for what they have done because there are many rich and wealthy individuals within the community, but these sponsors have done what others have not been able to do,” Okafor said.
The President General of Enugwu Ukwu Community Development Union, Chief Patrick Nwaorji said the outreach will be organised in all communities in Enugwu-Ukwu.
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