The Sir Emeka Okwuosa Foundation (SEOF), in collaboration with the Voom Foundation from the United States, has carried out a three-day health week fair in Oraifite community in Ekwusigo local government area of Anambra State.
The General Manager of SEOF, Amanda Obidike, noted that the essence of the health week fair was to bring basic medical equipment and services to the grassroots people, and to transform the face of healthcare delivery in the state and in Nigeria as a whole.
She stated that the Voom Foundation is partnering with SEOF because they believe that everyone, irrespective of their social class, should have quality healthcare service, adding that organisations like Voom are changing the face of healthcare system in Nigeria with the aim of making intensive care and surgeries affordable for all.
She further stated that the partnership is also extended into the building of a state-of-the-art hospital, the Dame Irene Okwuosa Memorial Hospital, where Voom will support SEOF with technical guidance on how to run the hospital.
“We collaborated with Voom to provide necessary treatments to arthritis, malaria, typhoid, ulcer, hypertension, chronic pains, diabetes and eye problems,” she said. “We look forward to partnering with them in the future as this will help us a great deal when we launch the Dame Irene Okwuosa Memorial Hospital for healthcare operations in 2022.”
She stated that the health missions’ team for the health fair consisted of medical assistants, general practitioners, and volunteers coming from the USA and from some teaching hospitals in the country.
Dr Vincent Ohaju, a trauma surgeon and the founder of the Voom Foundation, commended SEOF investing in the grassroots healthcare system. He said they are happy to partake in the mission and initiatives of SEOF in raising the standard of healthcare in the southeast. He also spoke on how the two foundations aim to have an open-heart surgery in Oraifite community, through the Dame Irene Okwuosa Memorial Hospital, next year.
“The last three days have been an exciting time with a lot of interesting patients. Many patients do not know they have high blood pressure, arthritis, and hypertension. This adventure has given hope to many of the beneficiaries,” Ohaju said. “It has been a success, having local and international volunteers in the event.”
Shawn Andaya-Pulliam, the Executive Director of the Voom Foundation, spoke about how the last health week fair by SOEF and Voom, last September, was a success and how the just concluded one was their groundbreaking record of attended beneficiaries.
Mr Azuka Okwuosa, a former Executive Chairman of Nnewi North LGA in the state and the Director of SEOF, encouraged the people of Oraifite community to take hold of the medical opportunities provided by the two foundations.
On late Dame Irene Okwuosa, Obidike stated the late Dame Okwuosa was a teacher and the mother of Sir Emeka Okwuosa, the founder of SOEF. She added that the Dame Irene Okwuosa Memorial Hospital, located in Oraifite, was named after her to mark her good work for humanity.
“When she was alive, she loved, cared and catered for people. The hospital is in memory of her legacy,” she said. “The hospital will address open-heart surgeries. It will be the first hospital in the south-east part of the country with modern Catlab medical machines.”
Speaking on the beneficiaries of the health week fair, Obidike stated that they had over 800 beneficiaries above 60 years and that the majority them above 60 years were diagnosed of high blood pressure, malaria or eye problem.
“We recorded 1,450 beneficiaries of the fair. We provided consultations, laboratory tests, medical treatments, drugs, wheelchairs and medicated eyeglasses to the beneficiaries,” she said.
Some of the beneficiaries commended SEOF and Voom for their kind gestures. Some others said they could not wait to benefit from the Dame Irene Okwuosa Memorial Hospital when it begins full operations February next year.
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