Free health care for 40,000 Lagos residents
They have been suffering from various ailments, even as they had no money to access quality health care. They thought there was no hope. Suddenly, there was rumour that there would be a five-day free medical mission to be organised by a lawmaker. They doubted the veracity of the rumour. They have waited for the opportunity when they would receive medical attention for their various ailments.
When the rumour turned out to be true penultimate week as this year’s edition of the free health mission provided by Hon. Adebisi Yusuf, the lawmaker representing Alimosho 1 State Constituency at the Lagos State House of Assembly began, hope replaced their uncertainties.
Over 40,000 residents of Alimosho and its environs who had been suffering from various ailments benefited from the free medical treatment. The event lasted five days and over 250 out of the total beneficiaries had surgical operations.
The free health mission was conducted at Mosan Okunola, Agbado-Oke Odo, Alimosho, Egbe-Idimu and Igando-Ikotun local council development areas simultaneously.
However, the surgical operations were performed at Ipaja-Ayobo Mini-stadium, Lagos where patients were referred to from the four other centres. Referrals were sent to the hospitals for illnesses that were beyond the scope of the mission.
Many local and international medical personnel were on ground to attend to the patients. The medics ranged from medical doctors, nurses, matrons, laboratory technologists, pharmacists, and opticians, among others. Twenty-five medical personnel from the United States of America (USA) joined others from Nigeria for the free medical mission.
The free health mission, organised by Prince of Hope Turns to Reality Foundation (PHTRF), an initiative of Hon. Adebisi Yusuf, the lawmaker representing Alimosho 1 State Constituency at the Lagos State House of Assembly, brought succour to many who had given up hope of ever living a healthy life because of financial constraints.
Apart from ailments such as malaria, typhoid, eye-related issues for which free eye glasses were provided, tests for high blood pressure, HIV and Hepatitis B were carried out. Also minor surgical treatments were carried out for ailments such as hernia, lumpectomy, ganglion and keloid, among others.
Among the medical personnel was Dr. Peju Emmanuel. He said: “It was good; it has been very successful. A lot of people have benefitted from Hon. Bisi Yusuf’s gesture. Every one of us knows the socio-economic situation in the country. Many people are suffering from different ailments that require medical attention.
“Medical care in the country is not rewarding. Hundreds have benefitted from the free medical mission. I was here last year and at a time we were closing many people were yet to be attended to.
“Government should collaborate with the lawmaker in funding the programme. Not everybody is entitled to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) which the government initiated. We’ve seen people losing their lives just because of minor ailments.
“We have been doing lumps on tissues. Keloids could be regarded as lumps as well. Cases of hernias are numerous; both in men and women.”
Some of beneficiaries interviewed expressed delight over the lawmaker’s gesture over the years, describing him as an exceptional politician.
Mr Seyi Oladele, 18 year-old student who underwent surgical operation to take out keloid said he has been suffering from the ailment for four years. He commended the lawmaker for the free surgery.
He said: “I have made several efforts to be free from this mess by visiting hospitals but my mummy does not have enough money to finance the bill for surgery which they said was the only solution.”
17-year-old Master Jeremiah Amaechi, a student who also has been suffering from keloids for eight years had the disease removed through surgery as well; he also thanked the lawmaker for the gesture.
Mr. Hafeez Onilude, who had a massive keloid removed from his body in last year’s edition of the programme, shared his testimony, even as he thanked the lawmaker for the free surgery which would have cost him over N200, 000.
A woman whose son lives in Ora, Kwara State, revealed that her son was suffering from hernia and that she could not afford the money to take him to any hospital.
She had to bring him for treatment at the venue. She thanked the lawmaker for providing the free medical treatment for the people, describing it as a great project that saves lives of the less-privileged people.
Morufat Ashekunlowo, another woman who brought her son for treatment said: “My son Ahmed had been suffering from scrotal pain from infant but she could not afford the medical bill in hospitals, a reason she brought him for the treatment; having been informed that it was free. We have spent a lot of money in the hands of alternative medicine practitioners, yet he was not cured.”
Mr. Ayanwale Alani of 18, Aloba Street, Ipaja who was also suffering from hernia, stated that he had been treated but was asked to come back for checkups.
Alani revealed that he had been suffering from the ailment for eight years as he could not afford the bills to carry out the surgical operation at the private or public hospitals.
Mr. Adeyemi Emmanuel, who underwent eye treatment and received free eye glasses, described Yusuf’s intervention as a divine call which others should emulate.
Emmanuel, who noted that he had been having eye issues for about three years, commended the lawmaker for constantly investing in health care.
Speaking with reporters, President of PHTRF, Hon. Yusuf revealed that he is in partnership with both local and international partners such as the Vitamin A agent of US “and our brothers who are also in US who organised medical instruments/equipment and drugs for me to make the programme a success.
He added that he was motivated to invest in people’s health because God has given him sound health, even as he said his parents placed high premium on health.
“God has been very gracious to me and because of that, I thought it fit that we can also emulate the attributes of God and extend it to other humanity. I am doing this also because of the passion my mother had for me and my health while growing up. I am committed to the healthy living of people because health is wealth.
“I have the inspiration that we should not concentrate only on close families. We must extend health services to neighbours. We have improved on last year’s edition where over 30,000 residents of this Federal Constituency and beyond benefitted from. We captured more people. The crowd here is massive.
“The people have been living in agonies for several years without money to access medical attention. Government at all levels and well-meaning individuals must rise up and provide affordable and quality health care services for the people. Those that we couldn’t attend to because of the severity of the conditions were referred to government hospitals. The exercise had been very tedious but every operation was successful,” he said.
He appealed to government to do more in the area of health care delivery. It goes beyond routine checkups. We discovered Hepatitis B which is very dangerous and even HIV positive persons.
“Lagos State government should take over this venture. If they can’t help me, they should help these people. I will brief Mr. Speaker on what I’ve observed here; something will have to be done.
“It is going to outlive me. I have instructed my children that this is a foundation and they should take it up after my death,” the lawmaker promised.
Also speaking with reporters, Chairman of Ipaja-Ayobo Local Council Development Area, Mr. Sakiru Adisa commended Yusuf’s large heart for the common man and the less-privileged persons.
“He has been giving back to the people that elected him. Hon. Yusuf has been representing the people very well and had not only invested in health care but also in other sectors such as education.
“We are proud of him because he is selfless and want happiness for the greatest number of people. He has been able to sustain this gesture and so many people, including those from Ogun and neighbouring states have been beneficiaries,” the council chief said.
Source: The Nation Newspaper
