Bauchi – The Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, says he will provide an 11-day free medical service to the poor across the 20 local government areas of Bauchi state.
He said that the programme, which would be through the Doctors on the Move Africa, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), would assist the vulnerable and less privilege in the society in accessing healthcare services.
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Dogara said that the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital (ATBU-TH), Bauchi, would be used as centre for the exercise.
He said that the services would be in the areas of consultations, drugs, diabetics and hypertensive screening, provision of reading glasses and cataract operations.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the services to be rendered by the doctors included general minor and major surgeries such as Lipomas, hernia, fibroids and goitre.
The report added that the medical team would also provide services such as ultra sound scanning, HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis screening as well as public health campaigns.
Also speaking, Sen. Ali Wakil, Chairman, Senate Committee on Poverty Reduction, said that the initiative would solve the problem of lack of funds bedevilling poor people in the rural areas of the state.
He said that ensuring the health of the citizens was a sure way of enriching them and reducing poverty in the society.
Wakili urged the beneficiaries to conduct themselves in orderly manner during the exercise in order to fully benefit from the programme.
The Team Leader of the NGO, Mr Joseph Kigbu, said that the exercise would be conducted by about 50 medical doctors.
He disclosed that the state have about 700 to 1000 cataract patients that are awaiting surgery, adding that the exercise will target all of them within the stipulated time.
“This exercise will bring ease to many people whom cannot afford cataract surgery which is about N20,000 to N30,000; as such members of the public should massively come out to cure themselves from the ailment.
“The state has about 700 to 1000 cataract patients that are awaiting surgery; therefore we intend to conduct surgery to all cataract patients before the end of the exercise.
“Eye surgery will commence tomorrow (Tuesday) as we will begin screening for those with eye problems immediately,’’ he said.
Also speaking, the acting Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (C-MAC) of the ATBU-TH, Dr Said Kadas, applauded the initiative of the speaker, adding that it will go a long away in solving health issues in the state.
He called on the public to utilise the opportunity of accessing free health care services. (NAN)
