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From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
About 10,000 residents of Enugu State on Tuesday benefited from the free medical outreach organised by a non-governmental organization, NGO, PaulBasil Iloegbouba Foundation, PBIF.
The foundation distributed free eye glasses and treatment for those with sight ailments, high blood pressure treatment, dental treatment, malaria treatment, conducted minor surgery and general body check-ups and treatment except major surgery.
The event titled: “Enugu Mega Medical Outreach” was held at Okpara Square, Enugu with in collaboration with Resident Doctors of Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Teaching hospital, Parklane.
Speaking during the outreach, the founder of PBIF, Engr. PaulBasil Iloegbouba said the medical outreach was to save the lives of indigent people.
He said the expenses for the Outreach runs in millions considering the cost of drugs in the market now, adding that God has been the one helping them to carry out the task.
As an Engineer, he said the passion to save lives was the only thing that motivated them to embark on the medical outreach, adding that life is not how much you have but the life you were able to save.
“Currently in our country today, many people can’t afford to pay for their hospital bills and what we want to achieve is to see how we can help the poor masses who can’t afford to go to hospital and provide for them through medical means so that they can have free medical treatment and take care of themselves.
“We targeted 10,000 persons and as you can see we are almost there but just started. The foundation started 2014 and has been rendering health services to indigent people not only in Enugu but also in Ebonyi and some other States. The passion to touch the lives of others was what led to this foundation. People are dying out of lack of finance to access health facilities and we decided to assist in offering them free health treatment.
“This is the 15th outreach and today, we are doing what we have not done before. We chose Micheal Okpara square to accommodate the patients we expected to attend,”he said.
The President of Resident Doctors of ESUT Teaching hospital, Parkland hospital, Dr Ofornere Chukwuno said they’re partnering with PBIF foundation to render better services to Ndi-Enugu, adding that the work of Doctors was to assist people with quality and good health.
He said that they have over 110 doctors and nutritionists attending to the people for different ailments based on their field of practice.
“We the resident doctors are partnering with the PBIF to give quality health services to the people. When we found this opportunity to partner with an NGO, we decided to use it to render health services to the people of Enugu State. Our doctors are here to attend to the indigent people, we have psychiatrists, dentists, nutritionists, surgeons and all other aspects of medicines are here to attend to the people of Enugu,” he said.
Also speaking, the Co-founder of PBIF, Mrs Favour PaulBasil, said that they chose December to help the Indigents celebrate the Christmas festival with good health.
She said the outreach was in line with their passion to save and impact lives, adding that the sustainability of the foundation is God and others.
“The purpose of this outreach was to save lives and impact on them. Seeing people happy makes us happy. It has been our passion to see people celebrate the season with good health and happiness and that’s why we chose now to help them celebrate with good health. We are the one to make the society be the way it should be. So, we want the society to be in good health. We are here to save the world, not only the people of Enugu State,” she said.
Expressing satisfaction immediately after receiving treatment, one of the beneficiary Mrs Olaedo Okafor said the medical practitioners that attended to her and others were thorough in their examinations and gave her drugs, glasses and medical advice about her health.
“I am impressed with the way they are attending to the people here. Even the children are receiving medical attention. I want to join the foundation to partake in touching people’s lives, not only giving food without saving their lives,” she said.
Another beneficiary, a 56-year-old woman, Mrs Elizabeth Ugwu, who said she was treated of pain, expressed happiness that the foundation attended to her.
“I was given High Blood Pressure and pain relief tablets and If our children who are rich are doing like this, Nigeria will be better,” she said.
