By Stephen Adeleye.
The House Officers Forum (HO Forum), Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja (FTHL), has offered free medical services to over 100 indigent citizens of Adankolo market in Lokoja, Kogi State.
The HO forum also enlightened the community on several health conditions, the right use of medications, how to take care of their health, as well as personal hygiene to prevent transmissible diseases.
Flagging off the outreach on Monday, the Chief Medical Director of FTHL, Dr Olatunde Alabi, commended the forum for the initiative to invest their time and resources in helping the less privileged in the society.
Dr Alabi, who was represented by the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), FTHL, Dr Ojochide Ebune, expressed the FTHL management’s total support for the forum on the initiative.
He stressed that the gesture would go a long way to improve the health of the beneficiaries who could not afford basic healthcare services due to financial constraints amidst the economic pressure.
The CMD encouraged the community to mobilise their people to take advantage of the free healthcare services as well as other subsequent medical outreaches.
He urged the people to pay adequate attention to their health especially regular screening, exercise, watch what they eat, drink, reduce stress and ensure adequate rest.
“A healthy person is a productive, resourceful and useful person. Prevention is better than cure and health is wealth. If you take care of your health, it is cheaper than cure,” he said.
The CMD further assured the populace of the commitment of the management of FTHL to continue to ensure delivery of quality healthcare services to people of the state.
He stressed that the institution remains the most equipped, effective, accessible and affordable tertiary health institution in the state.
Also speaking, Dr Kenneth Nwafor, House Officer’s Representative, FTHL, said the medical outreach was part of activities to mark the HO Forum’s 2024 Health Week as a give back project to the society.
Nwafor noted that the HO forum with the support of FTHL management on Friday, sensitised the public on benefits of blood donation to commemorate the “World Blood Donor Day (WBDD)” 2024, marked every June 14.
He said the medical outreach was to sensitise the people on their health challenges and how to avoid some bad practices as well as raise awareness on chronic health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, among others.
Nwafor added that the people would also be screened and given free drugs such as antihypertensives, antidiabetic, pain relief, among others, while those who needed urgent medical attention would be referred to the FTHL.
Nwafor appreciated the management of FTHL for their approval and full support for the initiative, stressing the need to continually encourage and support such project on regular basis.
“I am really impressed with the turnout of the people for the medical outreach because it actually surpassed our target of 100 beneficiaries.
“We are grateful to the management of FTHL for their support to ensure the success of the program,” Nwafor said.
Earlier in her sensitisation lecture, Dr Damilola Daniel, FTHL House Officer, advised the people to engage in regular exercise, avoid salty foods, self meditation and herbal concoction.
The community leader, Alhaji Isah Abdullahi, 75 years old, thanked the HO forum and the management of FTHL for bringing the medical outreach to Adankolo rural community.
“We thank the doctors and the hospital for treating our people and giving us free drugs,” Abdullahi said.
Some of the beneficiaries, Rekiyat Ibrahim, Hasiya Isa, Salman Ismaila and Samuel Ariyo, all expressed their gratitude to the house officers forum for the gesture towards improving their health and wellbeing..
