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• DUFUHS, DUFUTH, AEFUTHA battle cancer, prostrate issues, diabetes, others
…Treat over 5,000 patients in Ebonyi
From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
Many people suffering different ailments are afraid of medical cost. So, they live with diseases which should have been detected early and treated.
When they seek solutions to their health issues, it is usually late and the lucky ones among them survive while the unlucky ones die with the diseases.
It is against this backdrop that the David Umahi Federal University Health Sciences (DUFUHS), Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaaliki (AE-FUTHA) and David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital (DUFUTH) all in Ebonyi State, organized free medical outreach for the people of Uburu, Ohaozara local government area of the state and the entire state to bring medical care closer to the people to identify their health issues and immediately handle them.
The free outreach lived up to expectation with over 5000 people suffering different aliments benefiting from the service.
The medical mission which took place at the Eke-Aja Market in the community, attracted a large crowd but many doctors, nurses and other health workers, were on hand to handle the cases brought before them.
Patients with breast and cervical cancers, prostrate issues, diabetes, arthritis, ulcer and other aliments, benefited from the gesture. It also featured blood sugar check, blood pressure check, dental check, eye check, de-worming and nutritional talk. Every strata benefited.
Akpa Aaron Njoku, who have been having eye issues for a long time, said he has gone to some hospitals for solution to the problem to no avail. He said the eyeglasses he was given in those hospitals to aid his sight, couldn’t solve the problem and that when he heard that there will be free medical outreach in the community, he resolved that he must attend even though he has not been having confidence in such medical treatment.
He expressed appreciation that he was given better attention, treatment and eyeglasses through which he sees better now and commended the organizers of the medical mission.
He told Daily Sun: “I came for eye issues. It is very worst now and I heard that there will be free medical outreach in our community and decided to come for it. Last two years, I went to a hospital here in Uburu for medical treatment when this eye issue was very serious and I was given drugs and eye drop. The problem reduced but this year, it became worst and I went back to that hospital and they still gave me drugs and eye drop and it didn’t work this time around.
“As a result of this, I decided to come for this free medical outreach to know if I can have a solution to this issue, to at least be seeing a little, not even to be seeing clearly. If I am moving, it will be as if someone is pushing me and I will not be seeing anything except if it is too close to me.
“I also have arthritis and malaria and when these sicknesses become very serious, it usually worsen this eye issue I am also having. But I thank God for this medical outreach because the glasses they gave me here is very clear compared to the ones I was given in another hospital.
“At least, I am now seeing clearly with this particular eyeglass I was given in this free medical outreach. This eyeglass is very clear and I was properly attended to here. I so much like this free medical outreach, no pushing, no insults and other difficulties in accessing the free medical care which are the things that usually make me to avoid this type of event.”
An elderly woman, Hannah Odii, described the medical outreach as the best of its kind in the community. “I came for medical check-up. They announced to us everywhere in Uburu that there will be free medical outreach and here I am for it. I have legs, eyes, and waist pains. I have been checked for these aliments by doctors and nurses. I am waiting for the drugs they prescribed for me which they will give me here.
“I am so glad, I have never seen this type of thing before. Look at the crowd here accessing free medical treatment. May God bless the organizers of this outreach,” she stated
A journalist, Grace Egbo, said the medical outreach afforded her the opportunity to access medical care free of charge. Describing health as wealth, she urged people to always take advantage of such opportunity to look into their health.
“I did general health check in this free medical outreach and it was worthwhile considering the nature of our job as journalists. Our work is such a very stressful job and most journalists don’t care about their health. All they know is hustle and before they will notice it, it will be late for them.
“At least, once in a while, you must check your health. This will help you to keep fit and also live healthy because it is when you are healthy that you can do anything. I thank the organizers of this medical outreach, it is a good one,” she said.
Professor Robinson Onoh, Chief Medical Director of AE-FUTHA, said the medical outreach addressed small and big sicknesses. He opined that prostate issues, breast and cervical cancers and other deadly dioceses were handled during the medical mission.
He said: “At the same time, we are giving medications for those that has diabetes hypertension, asthma, ulcer, and even the common malaria and typhoid that we have. We have the drugs available and once we identify that you have any particular ailment, we treat you. The ones that we could not manage here that needs major surgical intervention, we refer you to the teaching hospitals.
“We can refer you to DUFUTH, refer you to AE-FUTHA or even to NOFIC depending on particular one that you have. In addition to that, we are also doing a research programme here and DUFUTH is handling that. We expect that at the end of this programme, we should be able to tell the world through research work, what has been done here.”
Onoh disclosed that the medical outreach was also to celebrate the Minister of Works, David Umahi who recently turned 62 because of his immense contribution to the development of the state and the country.
“The Minister of Works has done a lot for humanity. He has done a lot for Ebonyi State. He has done a lot for Nigerians and I guess, one of the things we should do for him, is to celebrate him and that is what we have by organizing this free medical outreach to also touch lives. We have to give better health to individuals,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor of DUFUHS, Prof. Jesse Uneke, described Umahi as a gift and blessing to Ebonyi State and Nigeria and commended President Bola Tinubu for appointing him Minister of Works to drive the Renewed Hope agenda on road infrastructure revolution.
He said Nigerians are witnessing quality road infrastructure built to stand the test of time under Umahi as the minister. The Vice Chancellor volunteered that the free medical outreach was to appreciate Umahi for his services to humanity and the country.
On her part, the Provost College of Medicine, DUFUHS, Prof. Esther Ajuluchukwu, said the event was to help people to come and get free screening to find out what they have for free because some of them are afraid of medical cost and that it was why the medical mission was brought to their door steps.
“We are bringing this closer to them so that when we identify their health problems, if we can treat it immediately. If not, we will refer appropriately to places for proper management because we want to scale down the health conditions in our environment.
“The free medical outreach being in the market like this is very commendable. Its very successful, we are getting there, we will get some facts that will help us now study the best way to prevent some diseases or treat some diseases in the environment.
“The free medical outreach is for the entire state. Anyone that comes here, we will treat the person. It is not only for the people of Ohaozara. For instance, I am not an Ebonyi indigene but I am working for Ebonyi State. People should use this opportunity to get treated and cured of their ailments. Early detection and treatment is always the best. If you delay it, it will be more expensive and it can be deadly,” she said.
