Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan, has sponsored Hernia and Hydrocelectomy surgery operations for 600 indigent patients in Yobe North Senatorial District, breaking superstitious belief that it was an incurable ailment.
Sen. Lawan launched the surgery operation and treatment on Sunday at Federal Medical Centre, Nguru and General Hospital Gashua.
He said the beneficiaries were drawn from Karasuwa, Nguru, Machina, Bade, Jakusko and Yusufari – the six local government areas of the senatorial district.
Lawan said the beneficiaries are weak and vulnerable persons, who could not afford the medical costs of the operations.
The legislator said his foundation worked in partnership with Yobe government through the Ministry of Health and the Federal Medical Centre, Nguru, in screening the patients to identify cases that need surgery and others that only need treatment.
He said, “I was motivated into this programme to meet the health challenges of the people and to complement the massive intervention by Governor Ibrahim Gaidam to provide affordable and accessible healthcare delivery to the doorstep of the people.
“There is no administration in the history of Yobe that has contributed so much and remained focus to healthcare development like the Gaidam administration, this needs support and encouragement.”
According to the Senate leader, 4,000 people from the six local government areas had earlier benefited from free eye surgery he sponsored last August.
“The next area of focus is to partner experts and professionals to investigate and find remote causes of kidney and Hernia cases in this zone with a view to provide preventive solutions.
“We will work towards the dictum, which states that prevention is better than cure, to find preventive solutions to the kidney and Hernia problems in our areas” he said.
Dr Abubakar Musa, Chief Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre, Nguru, said Hernia and Hydroelectric are common affliction affecting infants and elderly but unfortunately attached to superstitious beliefs.
“Some patients were ashamed of making their conditions known or seeking medical assistance” he lamented.
Dr Akin Ola, Principal Medical Officer, General Hospital, Gashua, said the intervention by the senate leader will provide relief to increasing Hernia patients recorded in the hospital, who could not afford the medical bills.