Ilaro (Kwara)- Dr Adekunle Salaudeen, Chairman, Association of Public Health Physician of Nigeria (APHPN), Kwara Chapter, has appealed to health stakeholders to assist in rendering free medical services to rural communities.
Salaudeen made the appeal on Saturday in Ilaro, Irepodun Local Government Area, during the association’s periodic community services held across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state.
He said that the association embarked on the free medical service because most of the aged people in the communities were ignorant of how to protect their state of health.
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“When we noticed this and we considered the service as a prompt intervention of helping them out,” he said.
He, however, said that the task of providing free medical care services to these communities had never been easy.
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“We have a lot of challenges in the healthcare service because of lack of adequate manpower.
“There are simply many people in need of medical services without enough doctors and drugs.
“However, this is our little effort in getting to the rural folks through organising consultations, giving drugs, health talks and other information that will help to benefit majority of the populace,” he said.
He, thereafter, called on the Federal and State governments, individuals, corporate entities and other stakeholders to come together and support the association.
“It is important we all see it as a point of duty to assist the APHPN by providing us with free drugs and others logistics to assist these communities,” he said.
Salaudeen disclosed that majority of the people had health challenges in the areas of arthritis due to old age, hypertension, malaria and diabetes.
Earlier, the Monarch of the community, the Alaran of Arorin, Oba Joseph Oyeyipo, lamented that his community had long been denied health and other infrastructure.
“The government is very far away from us, especially in the area of health and other developmental infrastructure, because majority of the people are illiterates.
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“We are, however, appealing that the only cottage hospital in this community be upgraded to a general hospital,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the association also gave series of health talks on importance of breastfeeding, management and prevention of hypertension and cleanliness among others. (NAN)
