Lawmaker Champions Free Treatment Of 7000 Patients In Nsukka

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Thursday, October 14th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – No fewer than seven thousand patients in Nsukka/Igboeze South federal constituency of Enugu state are currently receiving free medical treatment at university of Nigeria teaching hospital UNTH annex Obukpa in Nsukka Council area of Enugu state courtesy of Hon. Dr. Pat Asadu member representing the constituency

The health programme is being organized by the federal lawmaker who is also a medical Doctor in collaboration with Doctors on the Move Africa.

Speaking with newsmen at UNTH annex Obukpa venue of the Free medical outreach Dr. Joseph Kigbu consultant obstetrician/gynecologist and team leader doctors on move Africa said that the medical team in partnership with Dr. Pat Asadu has been offering free medical attention to patients for the past seven years in Nsukka/Igboeze South federal constituency to all manner of patients on short term medical outreach for local communities.

Dr. Kigbu noted that the medical outreach conducts major and minor surgeries, eye treatment dentistry, general surgeries among others, adding that the outreach dispense drugs and carry out HIV, prostate cancer diseases, high blood pressure HBP tests.

He said that Nsukka/Igboeze South federal constituency has benefited tremendously for the past seven years, explaining that in each outreach, about 6000 patients receive free medical attention while over 150 patients were operated on different surgeries ranging from hernia, goiter, fibloid and galcoma.

According to him, the team attend to over 1000 patients on daily basis from 9am to 8pm for five days on the stretch, pointing out that doctors on the move Africa outreach programme was designed to pay back the debt of scholarship some of them enjoyed in the course of study.

“Some major surgeries like fibroid which cost about N1 million while insulator N3 million among others, all these cannot be funded by one person alone.

“Doctors on the move Africa partners with both state, federal governments and politicians to reach the local communities as we are not all out to make money but to do our best on health challenges of people in different areas”

He however, noted that the team totaling 50 health experts has 16 trained doctors, pharmacists, nurses and other health workers in different departments as full-fledged hospital being run for one week for free.

He disclosed that Hon. Asadu expends the average of N100 million yearly for the outreach and even thinking of doing it twice in a year for the health challenges of people of the constituency.

Dr. Kigbu called on government to key into short time medical outreaches to assist the local farmers that are not captured into the government health insurance scheme and could not afford the high bills at the hospitals.

He appealed to Enugu state government to encourage short time medical outreach to help rural dwellers with hernia, goiter and other ailments.

” We are not comfortable with the structures on ground at the UNTH annex Obukpa. We carry out 150 surgeries in one week.

“We continue to encourage Dr. Asadu to continue lobbying for the rehabilitation of the hospital, like the theatre there has no astatic machines for operations, intensive care nurses for major operations.

“We have face delay in maternal death and maternal mortality accessibility to health center. The hospital need a tarred road. I strongly call on Enugu state government to rehabilitate the road leading to the UNTH annex Obukpa for essence of emergency cases”

“Ministry of health should as a matter of necessity and urgency upgrade the hospital as patients load of health challenges is very high in the locality.

Also Speaking, Dr. Grace Uga, eye consultant of team said that Carteret and glaucoma cases are high in the area, noting that the unit attends to about 2000 cases of different eye problems in five days, saying that the team dispense glasses and carry out eye operations.

Reacting to the development, chairman, People’s Democratic Party PDP Igboeze South local government area Princess Dr. Chiwendu Ogbonna expressed delight over the gesture of Dr. Pat Asadu torching on the health challenges of people of the constituency.

She called on other elected political office holders to partner with NGOs and other agencies to embark on Short time medical outreaches to change the narrative of health challenges.