300 receive free treatment, as RRI kicks off in Oyo

No less than 300 persons will benefit from the free medical and surgical outreach by the Federal Ministry of Health’s Rapid Result Initiative (RRI) in collaboration with the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan and Akinyele Local Government Council on Tuesday.

Chief Medical Director, UCH, Ibadan, Professor Temitope Alonge, said the health care was targeted at less privileged Nigerians to take care of non communicable diseases like uterine fibroid, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, VVF, hernia, cleft palate, cataract, refractive errors and club feet.

According to him, Federal Government through the Ministry of Health has decided to reach out to the downtrodden in the society who cannot afford good healthcare services.

Alonge said findings at the free medical and surgical outreach indicated many cases of hypertension and diabetes, adding “we noticed that about a third of them have problem with their eyes due to cataract and cornea opacity.”

The CMD assured that all surgical cases would be seen and assessed to determine the necessary intervention, adding that the cost of some of the surgeries would be borne by the hospital as part of its corporate social responsibility to mark the its 60th anniversary.

Alonge, who assured of increased publicity at the other 10 Local government councils to be visited, urged individuals with hypertension to adhere to their medications, saying its use is lifelong.

Medical Officer of Health, Akinyele Local Government Council, Dr Babatunde Olatunji, remarking that healthcare delivery requires a joint effort, listed prevalent non communicable diseases in the area to include diabetes, hypertension and arthritis.

Olatunji, however, said that poverty and cost of medical care had been a barrier to many people especially at the grassroots promptly caring for their health.

He, however, urged the implementation of the National Health Act signed into law by past president, Goodluck Jonathan, saying it would go a long way in sustaining good healthcare delivery to the poor.

Olatunji also called for the passage of the Primary Health Care Under One Roof bill as well as a functional health insurance in Oyo State, saying it will further enhance healthcare delivery to the down trodden.

The medical expert, urging them to avail themselves of the free medical and surgical outreach, lauded the imitative that was bringing healthcare to the door step of people at the grassroots.

One of the benefactors of the outreach is Mrs Olaitan Kehinde, an internally displayed person from Maiduguri, who sustained an injury on her right hand from a road accident and was billed N500, 000 to correct the problem.