RAYMOND OZOJI reports
People have been strongly advised to prioritize their health especially when they are over 40 years and go for comprehensive medical check-up at least once in a year for early detection of illnesses and not wait until they have fallen sick before they visit the hospital.
This was the crux of the matter during a 5-day free medical outreach and health education organized by the Awka Union USA/Canada where over 5000 persons benefitted from the 5th edition of the programme.
The exercise which featured free screening, diagnosis and treatments, free eye examinations, medications and issuance of free eyeglasses were held respectively at Umuzocha village hall, Ndichie hall Umudioka village, Ezi-Umuanaga Agulu Awka, Umuokpu village hall and Manari Osonwa Primary Healthcare Centre Obodoezi Obunagu Amikwo in Awka-South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure, ulcer, malaria and poor vision were some of the chronic cases discovered by the medical team even as they kicked against self-prescriptions which they found out was prevalent amongst the people.
Speaking to this journalist at Manari Osonwa Primary Healthcare Centre Obodoezi Obunagu Amikwo Awka, where the grand finale of the 5th edition of the Awka Union USA/Canada Free International Medical Mission was held, President-General of the Awka Union USA/Canada Dr. Anthony Nwaobum, said they came with their team of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, opticians, optometrists, other personnel together with medications, eyeglasses and everything, according to him, is free.
Nwaobum who observed that the generality of Nigerians do not go to the hospital unless they are seriously sick, noted that the free medical outreach was like a rescue mission for the people.
He said they discovered a lot of people who were diabetic, hypertensive,with high blood pressure and some other conditions but were totally ignorant of them. That people also came with vision problems which they addressed and thereafter gave them vision glasses, reading glasses and eye medications which were all administered free of charge.
Also the lead physician of the 2026 Awka Union USA/Canada International Free Medical Mission, Dr. Tochukwu Agbata Uyanne, said the reason they embarked on the free medical mission was to provide health education to community dwellers as she believed that when people were educated, they have been empowered to take care of themselves.
Dr. Uyanne reiterated that chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, arthritis and ulcer were some of the health issues they discovered and also provided free medications for the beneficiaries, adding that they equally provided reading glasses for patients who had vision problems. She however observed that literacy is a problem because people, according to her, do not understand and because they don't understand, they can't take care of themselves properly.
Dr. Uyanne noted that due to illiteracy and ignorance, people self-prescribe a lot as they go to pharmacies and purchase drugs even when they don't need them thereby causing them more harm than good. She therefore emphasized that it is part of the objective of the free medical outreach to educate the people on the dangers of self-medications as well as the need to see a medical doctor for proper prescriptions against any ailments.
Meanwhile founder of Manari Osonwa Primary Healthcare Centre Obunagu Amikwo Awka, Chief Onuorah Godwin Osonwa, who is a philanthropist of high repute, told this journalist that it was the second time the Awka Union USA/Canada International Free Medical Mission was held in the hospital.
Osonwa who disclosed that about 20 new born babies have been delivered in the hospital since it was built by him and later handed over to the Anambra State Government for proper management, explained that Manari Osonwa Primary Healthcare Centre also has an ICT section where children learn computer skills after school hours each day.
The Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of the Manari Osonwa Primary Healthcare Centre, Mrs. Pauline Okongwu, who described the Awka Union USA/Canada International Free Medical Mission as a worthwhile intervention, maintained that the free medical programme was another veritable means of advertising the hospital so that people would know that such facility existed and very functional.
Some beneficiaries Mrs. Virginia Onwuka, aged 61 from Amawbia, Mrs. Patricia Ekwegbeli, aged 78 from Amudo village and Mr. Sunday Nwosu, aged 70 from Amikwo village, who were diagnosed of various illnesses, expressed gratitude that they were able to access the Awka Union USA/Canada Free Medical Mission and received free medications which they said would have cost fortune to get elsewhere.
Meanwhile Coordinator of the Eye section, Dr. Innocent Oguadimma disclosed that they discovered that the people do not have access to good eye care and even when they know where to go to, they can not afford the eye care services. According to him, further investigations revealed that what the people are given as eye glasses and eye drops are not what they should get.
Dr. Oguadimma therefore noted that the Awka Union USA/Canada Free Medical Mission was a platform for the people to access such eye care services and given eye glasses and eye medications at no cost at all as Chief Ndubueze Patrick Iloanya, aged 81 from Obunagu, Chief Sunday Iloanya aged 84 from Obunagu and Mrs. Stella Iloanya aged 68 from Obunagu Amikwo, who had poor vision, attested to the fact that they were given free eye glasses and medications to boost their visions.
Another beneficiary of the Awka Union USA/Canada International Free Medical Mission, Mr. Felix Onwuegbune Chukwunenye, a native of Obunagu village Amikwo Awka, who was given free eye glasses for vision, said vision issues had 65% of the free medical outreach while other issues relating to general health had the remaining percentages.
Chukwunenye, who is also one of the Manari Osonwa Primary Healthcare Centre Management Committee Board, therefore extolled the efforts of the Awka Union USA/Canada medical team for their passion in community health, noting that it was the second time Manari Osonwa Primary Healthcare Centre hosted the exercise.
He also commended the philanthropic gestures of Chief Onuorah Godwin Osonwa, noting that it was the establishment of the hospital in Obunagu village that attracted the Awka Union USA/Canada medical team to the area.
##
0 Comments