430 Edo Rural Communities Get Free Medical Services At Easter

A total of 430 residents of Zide and Madagbayo communities in Ovia South-West local government area of Edo State have benefitted from a two-day free medical outreach organised by the Aaron Pon Wei Belo Foundation.

The outreach, held between April 4 and April 5, 2026, as part of Easter celebrations, featured over 35 medical personnel who conducted tests including blood sugar, HIV, Hepatitis B and C, blood pressure and eye examinations, alongside medical consultations.

The beneficiaries were also given free medications, while cases requiring advanced care were referred to the General Hospital in Iguobazuwa and other health facilities for further treatment.

During the exercise, the foundation’s founder, Goodluck Ebelo, said the initiative was designed to provide healthcare services to underserved communities lacking functional medical facilities, particularly during festive periods.

Ebelo noted that the outreach, now in its fifth edition, had been sustained for three years, adding that plans were underway to rehabilitate abandoned government health centres and deploy qualified personnel to operate them.

The Project Director, Dr Hannah Ojo, said the intervention was aimed at reducing preventable deaths, noting that many residents lacked access to basic healthcare services, while some cases requiring surgery were referred to appropriate hospitals.

Some medical team leads, including Dr Oyintare Abraham and Dr Shalom Azenabor, identified hypertension and infectious diseases as prevalent in the communities, while beneficiaries commended the initiative and called for improved government intervention in rural healthcare delivery.