A total of 20,000 poor and vulnerable persons have benefitted from the medical outreach organised by the Minister of Health Professor Mohammed Ali Pate in Bauchi State.
The Special Assistant to the minister, Dr Ashiru Adamu Abubakar, disclosed this to newsmen at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi during the free medical outreach.
The outreach was footed by the minister under his foundation, Chigari, in collaboration with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and other professional associations.
He said this was the 11th medical intervention in Bauchi State undertaken by the minister, adding that during the 10th exercise, about 20,000 people in the state benefited from his efforts including surgery operations.
Dr Ashiru said, “There have been a number of challenges within our country in the recent week. And with all the action, people are facing catastrophic expenditure.
“By catastrophic expenditure, we mean people are trading off between providing food on the table and medicare.”
He said the minister and his team were trying to put in place policies that would provide respite to people, especially patients, across board
“The minister is doing this from his money personally in his pocket not office funds. As an indigene of Bauchi State, he wants to give his personal support to make sure that people get some relief and have access to hospital and get medical care for the sake of Allah”.
“So, this outreach is going to be the 11th medical outreach conducted since July and across about 10 LGAs. And in the last 10th, about 20,000 were seen freely, and hundreds of patients were operated on. This 11th is also supposed to be a joint one with both medical and surgical interventions.
“The surgical interventions were open to hundreds of surgeries, both minor and major, and at least about 20 – 30 cataract extractions. We provided reading glasses to tens of patients depending on the boundaries and of course, free medication consultations and about 100 surgeries, both minor and major.
“This outreach is a gesture from the minister to the people of Bauchi and is being done in collaboration with Nigerian Medical Association and other professional associations.
“Every partner is aligned with the vision of the minister and they are willing to give their time and volunteer to provide free services to the teeming populace in Bauchi metropolis. This 11th one, our goal is to treat between 2,500 to 3,000 patients/services, whether pediatric or ailments, general treatment and at least hundreds to be operated for minor and major surgeries.
“Already, those surgeries are underway. The patients were identified on the first day, and all those line investigations were done and surgeries are presently going on at the teaching hospital.
“I want to thank the CMD of the teaching hospital; they have always been partners in progress, truly exemplifying the leadership of the minister he is providing to the health sector.”
Many of the beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the minister for the gesture and prayed to Almighty Allah to reward him abundantly
