The Federal House of Representatives member representing Dukku/Nafada Federal Constituency Abdullahi El-Rasheed, has begun a three-day medical outreach to offer valuable healthcare services to 5,000 beneficiaries in his constituents.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the event on Friday in Dukku town of Dukku LGA of Gombe State, El-Rasheed said the gesture was to ensure that his constituents enjoy the dividends of democracy.
He said the outreach which is designed to provide free medical checkups, treatments and surgeries to residents was in collaboration with the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe.
He stated that the free medical care was targeted at the most vulnerable within the communities that are in need of adequate medical attention but cannot afford such due to one reason or the other.
“The free medical outreach is targeted at treating patients that are suffering from Hynea; Hydrosil; Lypoma, Appendicies; Myoma (Fybroid); Glaucoma and Catract among other medical ailments.
“The treatments will be based on the stages of the sickness. In other words, surgeries will be performed to patients in critical conditions while drugs will be administered to those that are in the early stage of the sickness.
“These are part of the zonal intervention projects that were appropriated and earmarked for the Federal constituency Dukku-Nafada in 2023 appropriation act.
“These are projects that were awarded before the inauguration and I followed up the projects to ensure that they are all executed for the benefit of my constituency.
“There would be nothing less than 5,000 beneficiaries because it comprises women and their children.
“Almost all the consultants of Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe are present in Dukku ready to attend to patients here and in Nafada too,” he said.
He said that pregnant women amongst the beneficiaries would be given delivery kits to assist them after giving birth to their babies.
The lawmaker also inaugurated five solar-powered boreholes in five different communities which he said was part of his campaign promises to address the challenge of water scarcity in his constituents.
El-Rasheed said committees had been set up in each of the community where the solar-powered boreholes had been provided to ensure proper maintenance of the boreholes for the benefit of the people.
On his part, Alhaji Haruna Rasheed II, the Emir of Dukku in Gombe State commended the lawmaker for the intervention, adding that governance was about giving to the people.
Rasheed said that meeting the expectation of the people remained the essence of governance, adding that the health intervention would help improve on the wellbeing of citizens.
“This (intervention) is coming at the right time especially with the hardship where you see someone and think he or she is looking good but may have an underlying ailment.
“This is a good initiative and I urge residents to take advantage of this to improve their health especially now that the medical services had been brought to your doorsteps,” he said.
The royal father appealed to medical personnel that would be attending to the people seeking medical attention to be patient with them and to do their jobs professionally.
Mrs Amina Ibrahim, a pregnant woman and beneficiary from Dukku community thanked the lawmaker for choosing health intervention, noting that it would assist them to access good healthcare.
Ibrahim said bringing consultants and medical personnel from FTH would help sick persons get treatment and the needed medical attention.
“Drugs and medical services are now very expensive but today it is coming to our doorsteps free of charge; we are grateful,” she said.
Other beneficiaries of the solar-powered boreholes from Malala and Gombe-Abba communities appreciated the lawmaker, describing the project as live-saving as they hitherto had no good drinkable water.
