A member of the House of Representatives for Abuja South federal Constituency, Hassan Sokodabo, has empowered four area councils with healthcare equipment worth over N39million.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the area councils and communities that benefited from the gesture were: primary healthcare centres in Gawu, Abaji, Tsauni in Gwagwalada, Dabi in Kwali, and Chikuku in Kuje.
Sokodabo, speaking in an interview with NAN at one of the centre in Kuje, said that the aim of the project was to provide quality healthcare in rural areas.
He listed beds, generators, fridges, drugs, chairs, among other things, as part of the supplies to the primary healthcare centres in the beneficiary councils.
“They say health is wealth, so I felt there is need to contribute my own quota toward the well-being of our people.
“That was why we organised this medical outreach to give eye treatment, HIV awareness and test malaria and other fever treatments, offer surgeries, free drugs, eye care, among others.”
Sokodabo advised his colleagues at the National Assembly to reach out to the people at the grassroots because they were the ones that put them in their current elected positions.
“Wherever we are today, they voted for us and during the cause of electioneering campaigns, we promised to improve their lot.
“So, whichever way you see it necessary that these are what your people are lacking, try all the best you can to provide it and basically that is what we set out to do here,’’ he said.
The Coordinator of the outreach and Consultant, Joshua Adetunji, said that the outreaches that had been taking place since the previous week had witnessed more than 3000 persons turning up for treatment.
“We came with the knowledge that there are lots of illnesses ranging from Malaria, to stomach problems to fever to ulcer and to some cases that even involves surgical intervention and we have treated them.
“There were also cataract cases, some surgeries are ongoing as we speak, so far we have attended to over 3000 people from as young as one-year old, to as old as 70 to 80 years.”
Adetunji added that some patients came with malnourishment and they were attended to and given some supplements.
He said that there was a lot to be done in the health sector, especially at the grassroots, adding that their outreaches had shown clearly the need for the government to put a lot of funds into healthcare services, especially in the rural areas.
A beneficiary, Hauwa Isah, thanked Sokodabo and his team for the good work they were doing.
“I came to access eye care because I cannot see far and I can’t read, but today with the care and eye glass given to me, I can see clearly, may Almighty Allah bless them all.
“We need people like this in our society and we also need the government to help us’’, she said.
Mr Yahaya Isah, who is similarly a beneficiary of the medical outreach, said he brought his whole family to be checked as such opportunities rarely happened.
“My son used to complain of eye challenges so when I heard of the outreach I decided to bring him.
“I am grateful to them for using this medium to reach us and reach out to the poor, since many people cannot afford it because of the economic situation,” Isah added.
NAN
