BY AUGUSTINE AVWODE
Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has flagged off free medical outreach at two centres in Yobe State for 2021 for the less privileged who are in need of treatment for some medical conditions but for which they could not afford the cost.
Lawan flagged off the event at the Specialist Hospital, Gashua, on Saturday to cover three local government areas of Bade, Jakusko and Yusufari and also at the Federal Medical Center, Nguru, on Sunday to cover the remaining three Local Government Areas of Nguru, Karasuwa and Machina that make up the Yobe North Senatorial District.
Ola Awoniyi, Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Publicity, indicated in a statement that also on Sunday,Lawan flagged off free mass animal vaccination for cattle, sheep and goats at Gajammu village, Nguru.
The medical/surgical outreach and animal vaccination were both started in 2017 and have become an annual event.
The medical outreach includes free surgical screening, eye surgeries and free eye glasses, treatment for hernia, fibroids and other gynecological related ailments.
Speaking at the flag off ceremony at the Gashua Center, Lawan said the event which was the fourth in the series was part of his modest contributions to society.
Lawan said the medical outreach was organised jointly between his Foundation, Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan (SAIL) Foundation and Yobe State Ministry of Health, the Federal Ministry of Health and in partnership with medical doctors who are serving in the Specialist Hospital, Gashua and Federal Medical Center, Nguru.
Lawan said “in life, we are supposed to give back to society when we are privileged and when we are serving.
“I consider this as part of my little contributions to the society and this foundation (SAIL), by the Grace of God, will continue to do this even when I’m not serving.
“So, it is my special way of saying that I know some people cannot afford the treatment especially the eyesight where surgeries are carried out, glasses are given and some treatments are also given to those who are in need of treatment.
“Also we intervene in the area of fibroids, in the area of hernia and so on and so forth and I believe that this is an intervention that goes a long way in giving respite, in giving some reliefs to people who suffer from these ailments and most of these ailments are suffered by people who are not able to treat themselves because they lack the wherewithal to treat themselves.
“So we always feel that when we do this we are doing the right thing even though in a little way. This year by the Grace of God, being the fourth, we are going to see additional treatment for people who are suffering from the ailments for which we are intervening.”
The Senate President challenged the medical outreach team to conduct researches to see which other ailments or diseases needed intervention next year.
“We don’t pray that people should have diseases but when it happens, let’s know which areas appear prevalent so that next year we can add to our areas of intervention by the Grace of God,” Lawan said.
The Senate President also announced a plan to construct an Intensive Care Unit at the Specialist Hospital Gashua next year so that the facility could be readily made available to those who would need it.
“We will do that because we believe there is a need for Intensive Care Unit so that when people are in need of it, they shouldn’t be left out and allowed to suffer,” Lawan said.
He also charged the medical team to do a constant follow up on the patients to determine the efficacy of the various interventions.
“These surgeries, for those that have already been treated, it’s an opportunity for us to also test on the efficacy of what we do. I have heard many stories of people who have gotten relief as a result of our intervention.
“I pray that the level of efficacy if it is not 100 percent, we should be aiming at that because it is not enough just to carry out the surgeries but after the surgeries, how many have recovered their sight and I’m sure many have recovered their sight but we should follow up on those we operated upon to see how they recuperate from the surgeries,” Lawan said.
