UITH-ARD partners with NGO to provide free healthcare for over 400 indigent

 

By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal

The Association of Resident Doctors, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (ARD-UITH) has provided free medical services to over 400 indigent at Owu-Isin community in Isin Local Government Area of Kwara.

The healthcare outreach is in collaboration with Threshold of Hope Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the free medical intervention includes screening for Hypertension, Diabetes, HIV, Malaria, free Optical Services, distribution of eye glasses and drugs, surgical interventions and referrals, among others.

Speaking at the sidelines of the Outreach the ARD President, Dr Maryam Shiru, explained that the initiative is meant to support the indigent who may not be able to afford some of the services.

According to her, some residents have debilitating ailments that can kill and they prefer to keep themselves at home because of the exorbitant fees that hospitals will charge.

She said: “We feel that if we can reach out to these people and give them these free medical services, it will help them a lot”.

Shiru pointed out that the medical outreach is part of the mandate of the association as a corporate responsibility to reach out and touch lives of indigent in rural areas who have little access to healthcare services.

The ARD president observed that most of the beneficiaries at the medical outreach could not afford the cost of treatment of common ailments.

She added that patients were treated, administered free drugs and given advice, while those that would require surgical intervention were given referral for screening at the Tertiary hospital.

The ARD president commended the efforts of the Sponsor of the outreach, the Kwara Commissioner for Business, Innovation, and Technology, Mrs. Damilola Adelodun.

Also speaking, the Empowerment Coordinator of Threshold of Hope Foundation, Ms Bola Ipinlaye, said the programme was initiated by organization as a way of giving back to the society.

She added this is part of the association’s corporate social responsibility in giving back to the community and helping indigents with various health challenges.

In their separate remarks the beneficiaries Mr Mudasiir Tijani from Owu Isin and Mrs Comfort Aremu from Ijara Isin lauded the efforts of the organizers.

They said the health intervention is life saving as some people live with life threatening illnesses in silence due to lack of access to health care.

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