By Stephen Adeleye.
An NGO, Hallelujah Medical Mission (HMM) on Monday, conducted basic medical health awareness and promotion program for over 200 children in Mopa community, Mopamuro Local Government Areas (LGA) of Kogi State.
The children were also dewormed and given free drugs such as Vit. A, multivitamins, paracetamol tablets, antimalarial drugs, including biscuits and soft drinks.
Dr Muyiwa Komolafe, a Medical Practitioner, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, who led the medical team, spoke to newsmen at the venue at First ECWA Church Mopa, on behalf of the Leader of Hallelujah Medical Mission, Evangelist Kayode Komolafe.
Komolafe noted that the medical outreach in Mopa community, was targeted at children especially between the ages of one to seven years, which was hope to be done annually.
He stressed the need to inculcate proper hygiene habits into the children and for them to be properly sensitised, saying basic hygiene could prevent more than 80 per cent of cases of infectious diseases.
He said the gesture would not only be for the children but would also be extended to the entire population in the community and spread across the LGA in the subsequent years ahead.
“Today, we have taught the children basic personal hygienes such as proper hand washing, bathing, teeth brushing, covering of food, cutting of hair and nails, among others.
“We have also given the children deworming tablets, multivatmins, paracetamol and antimalarial drugs so as to complement government’s efforts in having healthy children in the society.
“We prepared for 200 children but the turnout was more. we are happy that people responded, and we are able to reach out to all of them and put smile on their faces today.
“We are also hoping to have free surgery for people in the future, and make the program much bigger, better and properly organised,” he said.
Komolafe added that they had also examined the testes of some male children to know if they descended, noting that an operation must be done to correct the testes if they did not come down.
He noted that they had so far examined about 86 children, and detected three children whose testes did not properly come down, and would require surgery.
Also speaking, Mr Gbotemi Komolafe, a Co-Team Leader, explained that Hallelujah Medical Mission was an arm of Hallelujah Fire On Mountain Mission Ministry, established to specifically attend to the basic health needs of the rural populace to ensure that they live a healthy lifestyle.
He noted that the Ministry is principally stationed in Niger Republic, but also registered in Nigeria.
According to him, the Hallelujah Medical Mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and reachout to the people especially the less privilege in the rural areas; Christ is the healer but we need to do our part.
“We thank God that this is the inaugural edition and we look forward to a bigger one,” he said.
Some parents whose children benefitted from the medical outreach, thanked the Mission for the gesture and for remembering their children at the grassroots.
Mrs Folashade Ayodele, and Mrs Oluwaseyi Mofobi, whose their two and three children respectively benefited, said they were so happy for the gesture to their children at the grassroots.