Ignorance, major cause of death in rural areas, says Medical Guild

By NAN

The Guild of Medical Directors of Private Hospitals of Nigeria on Saturday attributed the high rate of morbidity and mortality in the rural areas to ignorance.
Dr Tony Phillips, the National President of the Guild, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of  a  medical outreach Baruwa community in Kuje Area Council of the FCT.
The exercise was organised by the Guild of Medical Director’s Wives of Nigeria.
The outreach is a preamble to the 21st National Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the guild from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2. in Abuja.
Phillips said that the guild observed that health care was focused more in the urban areas than in the rural areas, adding that many of these communities did not have health care centres.
“As you can see, a big community like this has no health care centre; it is as a result of this that we decided to reach out to the rural area because that is where the problem lies.
“So, if we can take care of the rural areas, the incidence of deaths among the children and women will reduce.
“Instead of people having to rush to the urban areas for medical attention, they can be treated right in their communities, thereby reducing the pressure at the centre.“
Phillips said that the purpose of reaching out to communities in the FCT was to have insight into the realities of the state of their heath care and make recommendations to the relevant authorities.
Mrs Queen Phillips, the National President, Guild of Medical Director’s Wives, who also spoke to NAN in a separate interview said that the purpose of the outreach was to offer free medical screening to the people in the community.
She said that immediate treatment would be given to patients after tests had been carried out, adding that referrals would be made to the Kuje General Hospital, if necessary.
According to her, the women’s branch of the association is an NGO established in 2010 to foster unity amongst wives of the doctors in the guild.
“We also felt there was a need to make their impact as doctors felt in their immediate communities.”
Earlier, Dr Semiu Ola-Golden, while given a health talk, advised the people in the community to eat healthy meals and avoid over cooked food as well as un-prescribed drugs.
The village head, Mr Monday Kogi, who is also the Dakachi of Baruwa , called on the government to provide a healthcare centre in the community.
He said that people in the community had to go to Kuje General Hospital to receive medical attention.