Hajiya Silifat Sule, Wife of Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa state has inaugurated a free medical outreach aimed at free medical intervention for about 1000 Indigenes in the state.
Sule inaugurates the outreach shortly after concluding a road walk with members of the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN) who are in Lafia for their annual conference on Monday.
The medical outreach is part of activities of AHAPN 23rd Annual National Scientific Conference holding in Lafia the Nasarawa State Capital from August 1st to August 5th with the theme “COVID-19 Experience: Expanding the role of health system pharmacists.”
In her remark, Sule appreciated the association for the medical intervention and admitted that the gesture will go a long way to address the immediate medical needs of people in the state.
Sule who then called on residents to reciprocate the gesture of the association by coming out en masse to be attended to also thanked the association for choosing Lafia to organize their 23rd Annual National Scientific Conference.
Speaking in an interview, Mr Olabode Ogunjemiyo, National Chairman of the AHAPN explained that organizing the health outreach was part of the association’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which the association carries out regularly.
“We always organize it to complement the efforts of the Nasarawa state government in improving the health of its citizenry. Indigenes have the opportunity of enjoying pharmaceutical care free of charge,” he said.
According to the AHAPN National Chairman, about 1000 Indigenes are expected to benefit from the medical outreach which is only focused on basic ailments such as Malaria, High Blood Pressure among others.
“Most of the ailments don’t even require medication. There are some of them that will probably just require counseling. We are not treating chronic ailments here. We are only treating basic ailments,” he said.
Ogunjemiyo also explained that the essence of the road walk carried out earlier was to improve personal health and as a symbolic walk against drug abuse.
“The choice of what to walk against is solely due to thw fact that drug abuse has become a major public health issue worldwide and the attendant damaging effects it’s having on our youths and young adults,” he said.
In an interview with newsmen, a beneficiary of the medical outreach, Mallam Aliyu Magaji said the gesture has gone a long way to tackle some health challenges of the Indigenes who are not buoyant enough to visit a health centre.
He urged the association sustain the effort and called on other organizations and well-meaning Nigerians to follow the steps of the association.
“Some of us don’t go to the hospital not because we don’t want to go but because of the harsh economic situation, we find ourselves. So for these people to bring this initiative here is a big plus for us. It has given us the opportunity to come out and get the medical attention that we wanted but cannot pay for,” he said
The association also paid a courtesy call on the Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage (Rtd) who thanked them for the visit and for picking Lafia to hold their annual conference.
