The free medical outreach sponsored by Hon. Toby Okechukwu, member representing Awgu/Aninri/Oji River Federal Constituency (Greater Awgu) which started on the 29th November to end on 3rd December in cottage hospital Nenwe in Aninri LGA, Enugu State powered by Z.K Health Consultant have recorded a huge and laudable progress so far as over 1000 patients have been attended to and counting.
Yesterday 1st December, Hon. Okechukwu alongside Prof. Sen. Ike Ekwerenmadu, the senator representing Enugu West Senatorial District and Deputy Senate President of the Federal Republic visited the hospital for the first time to oversee the project, how it’s been carried out and the progress of the outreach. Sen. Ekweremadu in his speech commended Hon. Toby Okechuwu for his community healthcare initiative. He acknowledged the presence of the representatives of the Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF); Chairman Ohaneze Ndigbo Enugu State chapter – Hon. Alex Chiedozie Ogbonnaya; Hon. Stanley Okeke – the Council Chairman of Awgu LGA; Hon. Nelson Uduji, member representing Awgu South Constituency in Enugu State House of Assembly and a host of others in attendance.
After accessing the free medical outreach location and having brief conversation with some patients, Hon. Okechukwu and Prof. Ekwerenmadu attested that indeed the outreach team are doing a good work and applauded them. The Chief Medical Consultant Joseph Haruna Kigbu thanked the duo for trusting them enough to carry out the medical outreach and promised to do their best to ensure that the patients get better. He went further to say that all the patients they have attended to are all sick and are in need of medical care, “… no one came here because they heard of free medical care he said”. The representatives of the office of SGF commend the free rural medical healthcare and called on others politicians to emulate Hon. Toby Okechukwu’s benevolence.
Hon. Okechukwu thanked the governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for giving him the permission to employ the services of ZK Health Consult which is a state facility; he also thanked Prof. Ike Ekwerenmadu for supporting the course and always being there for the people, he thanked the medical team led by Dr. Sam, the doctor in charge of the hospital and all the leaders present. He also thanked the people of Nenwe for taking the opportunity to help them have good health in order to fulfill their life goals and aspirations.
Prof. Ekwerenmadu thanked everyone present for availing themselves and prayed that at the end of the treatment God will heal them of all ailments as He is the Supreme Healer. He admonished the medical practisioners to carryout proper examination on patients suspected with the case of hypertension before administering drugs to them because administering drugs just on assumptions or because of high blood pressure could be detrimental to their health. He went further to say that many are victims of wrong diagnosis of hypertension and have been on drugs ever since as it is impossible to stop taking the drugs when a patient starts and the poor rural dwellers cannot afford it. It is imperative to examine the patients thoroughly and if the person is hypertensive, he or she should be educated very well of the importance of continual intake of the drugs for the rest of their lives, he said. He applauded Hon. Okechuwu for being a true son of the soil. He called on the representatives of Secretary to the Government of the Federation for availing themselves, tasking them to take the good news to the federal government that Enugu West carries out projects just as they have seen and the Federal Government should allocate more money to the zone in order to carry out more projects.
He thanked the medical practitioners from UNTH, PARKLANE that volunteered for the outreach. Finally he admonished doctors to give close attention to their health, as they usually ignore their own health issues. They make efforts to save lives and ignore themselves. He gave instances of doctors who died untimely because they neglected their health. He thanked the press and advised upcoming politicians to emulate Hon. Toby Okechukwu and promised to find measures to make permanent the free medical care.
