Indigent Nigerians are benefiting from free surgical operations for sundry ailments, courtesy of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
At the last count, 162 patients have been operated on at the Garki Hospital, Abuja, venue of an outreach programme jointly sponsored by NBA, Kebbi State Government and Moses Lake Medical Team, Washington.
The medical experts have also expressed their readiness to treat all kinds of health challenges in a free medical outreach expected to end by September 8, 2023.
The outreach, which began on Monday, catered for health challenges like hernia, breast mass/lump, appendix, lymphoma, arthritis, hole in the heart, glaucoma, fibroids, back pain, dental cases and bone infection, among others.
The Secretary, National Welfare Committee of the NBA, Nekabari Annah, on Tuesday, disclosed that the purpose of the medical outreach was to care for indigent people who have health challenges and are unable to fund their medical treatment.
“We know that things are hard and, as part of the corporate social responsibility of the NBA to Nigerians, we are offering this medical outreach.
“Usually, this medical outreach should have been for lawyers alone and members of their families but we feel a sense of responsibility to other Nigerians and that is why we are throwing the door open to anybody who has different health challenges and would want to take advantage of this opportunity,” she explained.
Annah further stated that there was no limit to the number of beneficiaries during the week-long outreach, many more patients in need of surgical assistance are showing up.
The secretary further urged Nigerians to take full advantage of the free outreach in order to take care of their health during this period of economic hardship.
While urging the media to ensure wide coverage of the outreach, he said, Nigerians should take advantage of the outreach. He also noted that the information has already been posted on every lawyer blog, Twitter and other social media platforms.
Representative of the Moses Lake medical team, Diebo Puloa, noted that the outreach was a free operation for Nigerians and they are willing and ready to treat as many patients as they can with any surgical problem or any patient that needs treatment within the time limit.
Head of Surgery, Garki Hospital, Zanko Galam, described the outreach as a great opportunity for indigent Nigerians to get treated for free, while expressing gratitude to the visiting medical team for the gesture.
The NBA and Garki Hospital, in partnership with the NNPC Health Management Organization, last year, began a health insurance scheme for lawyers.
Moses Lake medical team, Washington, is a charity and non-profit organisation founded by an indigene of Kwara State, Dr Lateef Olaniyan. He has led the medical team on medical missions many times in Nigeria and other countries.
In 2008, the medical team was at the Specialist Hospital, Ilorin, and Pategi General Hospital, Kwara State. And in 2009, they were at Pategi General Hospital & Lafiagi General Hospital, Kwara State. In 2010 the medical team worked with Lagos State Ministry of Health to perform free medical outreach.
They have been in a long-term relationship with Nigeria since 2008.
