No fewer than 1,000 persons have benefitted from a 2-day free medical outreach organised by the Silver Cross Hospital, Abuja.
The outreach which took place at Guidna Village, a community in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), had persons from neighbouring communities of Gwagwa, Jiwa, Kagini, Timba, Finitobo and Saburi as beneficiaries.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the beneficiaries received treatments for malaria, typhoid, hypertension, screening and vaccination for Hepatitis B and C, and HIV and AIDS screening.
Others are ultrasound scans, antenatal services, glucose checks, eye and dental checks, family planning services, and health talks, among others.
Dr. Patrick Ezie, Chief Medical Director, Silver Cross Hospital, Abuja, said the outreach was part of activities to commemorate its first anniversary and to give back to its host community.
He added that the medical intervention was also to complement the efforts of the government and to promote awareness of the importance of regular health checks.
“What we are doing is to complement the efforts of the government, though the government has done its part with the primary health care centres, the functionality of these centres is abysmally low in the 20 to 30 per cent range.
“What we are doing is more of supporting government, and in the future, we are looking at doing more of a public-private partnership with the government to see how we can help, because we are all doing these for the Nigerian people.
“Especially for people in underserved communities and communities without access to quality health care services.
“So in my practice, I have seen many circumstances where people die needlessly just because they didn’t meet that criteria of making deposit for treatment at that point,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Musa Umaru, Councillor, Gwagwa Ward of AMAC appreciated the hospital for the outreach, stressing that it had made the residents more conscious of their health status.
“I have to appreciate them because before the hospital started operating here, our people usually go all the way to Kubwa, Suleja or Wuse to access health care services.
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“But since the hospital started in this community, it has reduced the burden of transportation to those other facilities to access health care.
“I will also want to appeal to the management of the hospital to extend these medical interventions to our neighbouring communities,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr. Umaru Danladi, Chief of Guidna village, also appreciated the hospital for the free medical intervention and prayed for God’s blessings upon them.
“I am very happy with this outreach we are having here today, I have been checked and I was given some drugs free without paying for anything.
“This shows that the doctor and the management of the hospital are concerned about humanity and I thank them very well,” he said.
Mr. Effiong Ika, a 72-year-old beneficiary, thanked the hospital for the medical intervention and the kind gesture offered to the people of the community.
“My experience here is very fantastic, they are doing very good work here, and I thank God for bringing this hospital here.
“They did not collect anything from us, they gave us food and snacks and I pray that God will continue to bless them,” he said.
Also, Mrs. Hafsat Abdulkadiri, another beneficiary, also appreciated the hospital for the free outreach.
“They checked my BP, malaria and typhoid, and many other things and I thank God for them.
“I don’t have anything to give them, but God will bless them very well,” she said
NAN
