Thousands of indigent residents in Gombe State have benefitted from free medical consultations, general and specialised surgeries, ophthalmology and dental care, medications, health promotion services, obstetrics and gynaecology support, as well as laboratory services.
The five-day medical outreach was conducted at the Jennifer Etuh Foundation Hospital in Tula, with support from Pro-Health International Africa, attracting beneficiaries from Gombe and neighbouring communities.
Finance Officer of the Jennifer Etuh Foundation, Egbe Ogheneruona, said the outreach was designed to bring hope to underserved populations and address pressing health needs.
“This is day four and we have reached over 2,500. Our target is to provide medical solutions to 5,000 people,” she said. “This year we noticed that the major category attended to is the mother and child; the mother is linked to the child and the child to the mother.”
Ogheneruona noted that the Foundation remains committed to expanding free access to quality care across the country.
“The chairman, Mr. Thomas Etuh, has promised to give free treatment as far as these hospitals are concerned. This is not the only one; we have six hospitals in the six geopolitical zones. Imagine going there every year to provide free medical services. This year we have been to Ekiti and Abia, even though we don’t have hospitals there,” she added.
She urged beneficiaries not to abandon routine healthcare after the outreach, stressing the importance of continued medical attention.
“After the outreach they need to come and access healthcare. It may not be free, but the cost is very minimal. You don’t need to suffer in silence or wait until you are intensely sick,” she advised.
A surgeon and head of the operating team, Dr Pfongkazah Didamson, said the team conducted a range of surgical procedures.
“We are doing general and specialised surgery. We have operated on hernia, lumps; we have had caesarean sections and children were delivered,” he said.
He noted that hernia cases were predominant among patients.
“When men have enlarged scrotum, we repaired a lot of them. It is very common here,” he added.
At the dental unit, Kingsley Eze, a dental technologist with the Pro-Health volunteer team, urged patients to prioritise oral hygiene.
“We do four major procedures here, from extraction for those that can’t be treated, and for those with holes we refill. Some come with poor oral health; we wash to make sure it’s clean,” he said.
Another dental therapist, Elam Elisha, emphasised the importance of proper brushing technique and regular dental checks.
“We also do dental polishing. It’s important to keep your oral cavity clean; they should do this every six months,” he explained. “There is a procedure for brushing — not horizontally but vertically. In the morning before breakfast, rinse your mouth with water, and after eating you can brush. Lastly, before bedtime, brush again.”
Also speaking, Dr Peace Anyaoha, an optometrist, said the eye-care unit followed a strict protocol to ensure accurate diagnosis and referrals.
“This section is eye-care intervention and we have a protocol we follow. We usually start with vision testing to know how much they can see from far and near. They check them for glasses, we do our refraction after conducting internal and external examinations,” she said. “We have an ophthalmologist here; cataract and glaucoma patients are usually referred to them for secondary care and surgery.”
Beneficiaries expressed gratitude for the free services, which many described as life-saving.
Hafsatu Abdullahi and Saraphina Samson said the outreach had restored hope to residents who ordinarily could not afford care.
Samson said, “I want to thank the Jennifer Etuh Foundation for carrying out this medical outreach in Tula. We are happy to be beneficiaries. I was operated on in a caesarean session in this facility; my baby was one of the children born within the five days the outreach held.”
Abdullahi added, “I received treatments without charges and we are grateful for the free medical attention.”
