Health
Foundation Provides Free Medical Care To 3,000 Indigent Nigerians In Nasarawa
By Martha Omafu
The Jennifer Etuh Foundation (JEF), a non-profit organisation, says it is targeting 3,000 beneficiaries for free medical services, including more than 100 surgeries in Nasarawa.
Mr Joe Otu, Programme Manager of JEF, disclosed this to newsmen on Thursday during a five-day free medical outreach at Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH), Akwanga, Nasarawa.
Otu said that the outreach was the foundation’s first in Nasarawa, following more than 20 similar interventions across the country.
He said the foundation, established in memory of the late Mrs Jennifer Ramatu-Etuh, had focused on the health, economic empowerment and education of women and girls over the past five years.
According to him, hundreds of patients in Nasarawa had received treatment for conditions including fibroids, hernias, appendicitis, abscesses and various lumps since the commencement of outreach on Oct. 12 in the state.
He said the team also performed caesarean sections and provided eye and dental care, including cataract and pterygium surgeries, eye examinations and spectacles.
Otu said that more than 50 surgeries had been performed as of Wednesday, adding that the team was targeting more than 100 surgeries before the end of the outreach.
He said 645 persons received services on the first day, while 954 were attended to on the second day.
Otu said the 82-member medical team drawn from across the country, was provided by ProHealth International, with support from DASH, Peace House and the Nasarawa State Government through the Ministry of Health.
He said the foundation also conducted health education and sensitisation, particularly on hypertension, which was prevalent among people across different age groups in the communities visited.
Otu added that the foundation planned to introduce a research component to identify prevalent health challenges in beneficiary communities and provide evidence to guide government interventions.
He said all services, including medical investigations, surgeries and medications, were free, adding that arrangements had been made for postoperative care after the outreach.
Mrs Christiana Afolayan, Programme Officer of JEF, said the foundation prioritised underserved communities where residents faced difficulties accessing healthcare.
She said that although the organisation primarily focused on women and girls, its medical outreaches provided treatment to everyone in need.
Afolayan said the foundation also provided health education and spiritual support through its evangelical team.
Dr Esala Abene, Chief Medical Director of DASH, commended JEF and its partners for providing free treatment to patients who could not afford healthcare.
Abene said the hospital collaborated with the team to ensure that the exercise did not disrupt its regular services, adding that some patients requiring emergency treatment also benefited.
He urged other non-governmental organisations to emulate JEF by initiating interventions that alleviated suffering, reduced poverty and improved people’s well-being.
Dr Fred Dachung, Head Surgeon of the medical team, said the team had performed various procedures, including hernia repairs, fibroid removal, appendicitis-related surgeries and caesarean sections.
Dachung said the team performed 25 surgeries on the first day, about 27 on the second day and more than 30 on the third day, expressing optimism that it would exceed 100 surgeries.
Dr Clement Tenufa, an ophthalmologist and Head of the Eye Care Unit, said about 25 eye surgeries, mainly for cataract and pterygium, had been performed as of Wednesday.
Tenufa said the procedures had been successful, adding that restoring sight to people who had lived with visual impairment would improve their quality of life.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr Monday Jatau, a farmer from Angwan Sabo in Akwanga, said he regained his sight after surgery following 20 years of blindness caused by a domestic accident.
Jatau said he had been unable to afford specialist medical care until his pastor informed him about the free outreach.
“I had resigned to fate over my condition since I couldn’t afford specialist medical care until my pastor told in church about the free medical outreach. I came and can now see after undergoing surgery. I thank God and the Foundation for this miracle in my life,” Jatau said.
Also, Mrs Aisha Salihu, who delivered twins through a caesarean section, said she and her husband had been struggling to raise money for the procedure before the foundation intervened.
“This intervention has brought a huge relief to my family. May God bless the foundation for this gesture,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Mr Apollo Esson, said he was diagnosed with a ruptured duodenum after presenting with stomach pain and underwent emergency surgery performed by six doctors.
Esson expressed gratitude to the foundation, saying the intervention had saved his life. (NAN)
Edited by Isaac Ukpoju
