Over four thousand people of Oye and Ikole Local Government Areas of Ekiti State have benefited from the free medical outreach sponsored by the lawmaker representing the Constituency at the National Assembly.
The two day outreach tagged “Ayewa Comprehensive Medico-Surgical Mission” took place on separate days at Ikole Specialist Hospital and Oye General Hospital.
People of the Constituncy, irrespective of their age trooped out in their numbers to enjoy the golden opportunity which was carried out in conjunction with
Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Nigerian Medical Association (Ekiti State Branch), and Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti.
Some of the services enjoyed include Medical Consultations, Minor surgeries such as Lipoma Excision, Herniorrhaphies, Lump Excision, removal of foreign objects from Ear, Nose and Throat.
Others are Dental Procedures, Tooth Extraction, Scaling and Polishing, Eye Tests, Distribution of Glasses, Cataract Surgeries, Care for indigent patients
Addressing Journalists, the lawmaker representing, Ekiti North, Federal Constituncy 1, consisting Oye/Ikole, Mr. Akin Rotimi Jr. said the initiative was part of his resolve to touch the lives of his people positively.
He said: “During the course of my campaign, I had six focal points and health is a very critical part of it because without health, there is nothing anybody can do.
“It’s a priority that our people are healthy and I have always followed the ideology of Prof. Olukoya Ransome Kuti and others in primary health care that the society needs to prioritise primary health care because if you have a functional healthcare system, you have fewer cases migrating to the General Hospitals.
“It’s important we have this periodic health mission to pick things very quickly and address them. In other components, aside just clinicals is also some degrees of surgical. We are also looking at eye defects. There are also interventions in dental as well.
“We are also having about a 1000 people who will be included in the NHIS which will ensure that our constituents that are selected are able to access health care for the next one year, totally free of charge.
“I think this is a very important part of what we should be doing. All stakeholders should be unified about strengthening our NHIS system so that people are able to access health care system.
“A lot of our constituents have been ill and incurred cost in the hospitals and have not been able to pay. We are also going to be taking care of offsetting some of these bills for people.
“I must thank the Primary Health Care Development Agency for collaborating with us on this project as well as the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Ekiti State Branch and Association of Resident Doctors, who have all collaborated with us. We are barely 100 days in office and we are able to do these things. I’m immensely grateful to all of them.
“For the constituents, it’s a sign of things to come. We will always prioritise the health care and wellness of our people.
In an interview, the Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association and CMD, Ikole Specialist Hospital, Dr. Rosiji said more than fifty surgeries have been done while some other patients are still expected to visit and those with severe cases have been referred.