100 Kogi Residents Benefit From Free Medical Outreach

A non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development (PIBCID), in partnership with the Nigeria Women Trust Fund (NWTF), has provided free medical services to residents of Ganaja community in Ajaokuta local government area of Kogi State.

At the event, the executive director of PIBCID, Rachael Remileku Akande, urged the residents to take their health seriously. She expressed concern over the increasing cases of sudden illness and death in the country.

Akande said more than 100 people received tests for blood sugar levels, blood pressure and Hepatitis B and C, conditions she described as life-threatening but often neglected.

She stressed the importance of regular medical check-ups and encouraged the participants to monitor their blood pressure weekly and check their blood sugar periodically.

Akande also charged governments at all levels and prominent individuals to prioritise public health by supporting regular medical outreaches and improving access to healthcare services.

In addition to the medical screenings, free drugs and other essential medical supplies were distributed to beneficiaries.

Commenting on the medical outreach, a community leader, Hon. Muhammed Ismaila, who is the Ogazuma-Ogbani of Ganaja, said they were educated on how to take care of their health through periodic checks to ascertain their status.

Before now, we did not know that checking our blood pressure and sugar levels is important. But we now know that these are the things which usually cause sudden death. I must commend the organisers, because this is an eye-opener,” he said.

Mrs Aishat Abdulkarim and Abdulsalam Yunusa, who benefited from the outreach, expressed appreciation to the organisers and pledged to pay attention to their health going forward.