By Asmau Ahmad
No fewer than 500 persons benefitted from the ongoing four-day NACA/SURE-P sponsored free medical health services on Monday in Benin, Edo. A media report revealed that medical services, comprising free medical consultation, testing and drugs, were offered to patients of different age and sex. Patients besieged venues of the medical expo as early as 8 a.m. to take advantage of the programme as health workers in public hospitals continued their over two-month old strike.
Some of the patients expressed delight over the gesture and urged for its sustenance. Mr Okungbowa Amadasun, a 79-year old, said: “I have been attended to. I came here because of my bad sight. “I was tested, screened and given these many drugs for my ailments. I am happy because the process is orderly,’’ he said. Mrs Alice Okoro, a trader, said: “I was given this mosquito-treated net in addition to these drugs.
“I have been asked to come back for confirmation on Wednesday before the last day of the programme.’’
The NACA-SURE-P programme technical leader, Dr Roseline Adu, said the event was taking place simultaneously in Urhokpota hall and Iyobosa primary school centres, New Benin.
Adu said the four-day programme was targeting about 10,00O beneficiaries on free HIV counselling, sugar level test, body mass indices test, eye test and drugs to patients. “All these are being funded with SURE-P fund domiciled within NECA.
“We are presently in Edo, Sokoto, Nasarawa and Sokoto states, but we hope to go round the 36 states of the country including Abuja,’’ she said.
