No fewer than 4, 000 people have benefited from a three-day free medical outreach organised by Rep. Timothy Golu (PDP Plateau) for people in Pankshin Local Government Area of Plateau.
Dr Sabo Emmanuel, Team leader of the outreach, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Pankshin at the end of the programme.
Emmanuel said that the programme was organised in conjunction with an NGO, Project Zero, and the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA).
He said that no fewer than 1, 020 people with eye problems were treated with over 500 free glasses given out free to those with serious cases.
“A total of 116 surgeries of different types including eyes, dental, Hernia, Apendix, Lipoma, Ganglion, Hydrocele, among others were done.
“The surgeries were done on both adults and children who came from various communities within Pankshin/Kanam/Kanke Constituency and they were given free drugs,’’ he said.
The team leader also said that over 100 medical personnel with different specialties- surgeons, ophthalmologists, pharmacists, nurses and family physicians- were on ground for the programme.
He described the programme as “very successful’’ and “encouraging’’ given the response of people from the constituency.
“We are surprise by the influx of patients, especially those who came, even before and after Sunday service,’’ he said.
According to him, HIV and Hepatitis screenings were carried out with counsellors on ground who assisted in counselling the patients on what to do.
In his remarks, Golu expressed happiness over the success of the programme, which he said had achieved its aimed of touching lives of the masses in his constituency.
“This is just the beginning as I will replicate same programme at Kanke and Kanam Local Government Area very soon till my people are properly catered for health wise, ’’ he said.
Golu said that preparations were on for the drilling of boreholes in various communities in the constituency to alleviate the problem of water scarcity being experienced by the people.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Kamshak Kuden, had on Friday, while flagging off the programme, commended Golu for the gesture and called on other elected office holders to take a cue from him.
Kuden said that the state government intended to commence similar free medical outreach in some local government areas in the state to enhance the wellbeing of the people. (NAN)
TYC/GOK