1,500 indigent people receive free medical care in Enugwu Ukwu Community *Sponsors pledge to sustain the scheme

By Madu Obi

No fewer than 1,500 indigent people from Urunnevo Ozom Community in Enugwu-Ukwu, Njikoka local government area of Anambra State, have benefited from a medical outreach sponsored by an illustrious son of the area, Dr. Charles Dozie Ajaegbu, in collaboration with Urunnevo Improvement Union (U.I.U)

At the epoch- making event, the beneficiaries received free eye glasses and drugs, and were also treated for various ailments.

The beneficiaries were mainly youths and the elderly of the community, as well as people from neighbouring communities, who besieged the community's Primary Healthcare Centre and Obu Ozom Hall, venue of the event, to receive treatment from a team of 40 medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, laboratory attendants and pharmacists, assembled for the programmme.

President General of Urunnevo Community, Norbert Ajaegbu said although the exercise involved huge financial implication, it was necessary that the less privileged among the people were given a sense of belonging, especially at this period of economic hardship.

He said: "We realize that health is wealth and that a greater number of people dropping dead was due to poor health care services brought about by bad economy.

The problem is that most of the people who might want to access quality healthcare cannot do so as they only manage to sustain themselves with routine drugs.

We, therefore, decided that we need to provide free medical access for our people and to be able to sustain it, we decided to establish an outfit where majority of them will have an access to doctors who will get their prescriptions and will be able to put out their routine drugs to enable them sustain themselves. So, this free medical treatment will continue for the next couple of weeks.

As far as we are concerned, our target is every indigent who is resident in Urunnevo community. Whatever it will cost, we want to take care of our people, especially those with killer diseases such as malaria, blood pressure and diabetes. We want to make sure that people suffering from these diseases don't lack drugs.

This is going to be a regular thing. You know we have a primary healthcare centre here recognized by the state government. Doctors are going to be visiting on a specified number of days.

We held a meeting with them and we were given assurance that they will be visiting on regular basis to do checkup for people.

And whenever there is the need for this type of outreach, we will organize it at no cost to our people as we will have the drugs available at the Primary Healthcare Centre."

The team leader of the Ribbon Care Volunteer Network and Director of Administration at Iyi Enu Mission Hospital, Ogidi, now University on the Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Dr. Nonso Anaene, said the Interest of the doctors and nurses is to ensure that people in the remote villages and communities have access to quality healthcare.

"We are determined to ensure that the people are healthy and fit wherever they are in our villages, communities and local government areas.

"Every year we make out time to reach a community or village where we can provide the people with free medical outreach. The would- be beneficiaries are expected to provide us with convenient spaces, like halls and other things that will help our work," Dr. Anaene said.

The Deputy Mayor of Njikoka local government area, Mrs Fidelia Uju Okafor expressed gratitude to the sponsors, as well as the executive of the U.I.U for remembering the people of the community.

"We are happy for what they have done because there are many rich and wealthy individuals within the community, but these sponsors have done what others have not been able to do", she said.

The President General of Enugwu Ukwu Community Development Union, Chief Patrick Nwaorji said the outreach will be organized in all communities in Enugwu Ukwu.

"We are encouraging others who have not done their own to start now to emulate the people of Urunnevo. Again, the beneficiaries should maintain whatever the doctors told them to be doing, so as to be healthy", he said.

One of the beneficiaries, Elder Gilbert Anaeke commended the sponsors for remembering the less privileged in the society

"I wish this gesture remains and comes to us always . I know how much I have spent going to hospitals but this one is free of charge; it has brought us much joy and happiness. We are praying God to bless those who have made this possible.'

Another beneficiary, Columbus Ogbonnaya Nwobi said: " My prayer is whosoever did this for the poor people, God will do more for him.