By Asma’u Ahmad
Governor Mohammed Bindow of Adamawa State on Wednesday appealed to the Presidential Committee on North East Initiative (PCNI) to extend days for the free medical outreach in Yola.
The governor made the call while assessing the ongoing seven days free medical service at the Specialist Hospital, Yola. Bindow noted that the outreach was to assist indigent citizens who ordinarily could not get medical attention.
“The initiative has a tremendous impact on the lives of the people. The seven days is not enough to attend to the large crowd of people waiting to be attended to.
“The Yola outreach is for the entire Adamawa Central zone, I am requesting the PCNI to add two more days to ensure that everybody is attended to,’’ he said.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the initiative, adding that it has direct benefits on the masses.
Earlier, Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Specialist Hospital, Dr Bala Saidu, said that over 1,000 patients were still waiting to be attended to. He said that the programme has recorded five child deliveries and 25 surgical operations, among many diagnoses.
The CMD, while conducting the governor round the facilities where the outreach was taking place, said that medical doctors were mobilised from various areas of specialisation.
Newsmen report that the seven-day medical outreach was organised by the PCNI in partnership with the West Africa College of Surgeons, Pro-Health International and the Adamawa government.
The PCNI had presented the outreach in Mubi and Ganye towns, representing Adamawa North and South, respectively.