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  • Why I established medical foundation for indigent families – Don

    Why I established medical foundation for indigent families – Don

    The Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof Felix Chukwuneke, has said that he established a medical foundation to keep the dreams of his late daughter alive.

    The late Chisom Enyinnia Chukwuneke, who emerged as the best in the 2019 WAEC exams of Graceland College, Enugu, was born on 24 August 2003 and died in a South African hospital on 18 October 2020 after a brief illness.

    The don disclosed that he established the Chisom Enyinnia Chukwuneke Medical Foundation in honour of his late daughter, whose desire was to provide indigent children with access to free medicare.

    Delivering the 186th inaugural lecture of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, titled: “Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Practice in a Developing Economy: the Making of a Surgeon,” Prof Chukwuneke revealed that two weeks before his daughter’s MOC exam in 2019, she changed her mind from studying software engineering to medicine.

    According to him, “Shethe  decided to read medicine to have the opportunity to treat children from poor parents of their health challenges.

    Read Also: Medical foundations partner to fight infant mortality

    “My daughter was always very passionate about the survival of children whose parents are poor, those who do not have opportunity of getting the best health care like her”, he said.

    The maxillofacial surgeon further explained that the Chisom Chukwuneke Medical Foundation was established to basically help treat poor children with health challenges so that they can actualize their academic ambitions.

    To ensure the successful take-off of the foundation, the Oba, Anambra State-born, physician announced the release of N5 million and made a passionate appeal to the wealthy and multi-national bodies within and outside the country to support the foundation to guarantee its optimum performance.

    In the 186th inaugural lecture, Chukwuneke announced that surgeons of the faculty of dentistry of the institution, have developed some local surgical innovations in the absence of the conventional technique to handle patients.

    He disclosed that due to the huge success achieved, some developing countries that found themselves in similar situations like Nigeria, have started copying the new model discovered by the faculty.

    He also identified a vicious chain reaction of poverty, superstition, ignorance, poor health-seeking behaviors, and limited options of treatment to patients default to late presentation of their ailment, which has posed more difficulty in finding a cure.

  • Medical consultants give Fed Govt 21-days or face strike

    Medical consultants give Fed Govt 21-days or face strike

    Members of the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) have given the Federal Government a 21-day ultimatum to immediately review and implement the newly revised Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) agreed upon with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).

    The consultants’ association expressed consternation that the circular the government released only captured the percentage increase in basic salary as against applying it to both the basic salary and all allowances, except hazard allowance.

    A statement by MDCAN President Victor Makanjuola said the association urged the Federal Government to immediately resolve all the contending issues with the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) in order to ensure that government hospitals return to normal operation for optimal healthcare delivery.

    The statement, which was issued after MDCAN’s extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, reads: “We demand for the immediate review of the newly revised CONMESS circular and issuance of a new circular that would reflect the agreed percentage on both the basic salary and other allowances, apart from hazard allowance. This will ensure that the clinical lecturers (honorary consultants) would benefit from the upward review.

    “We call for the correction of the error of commencement of the implementation of the upward review of CONMESS from June 1, 2022 to January 1, 2023.”

    “We demand that the upward review of the CONMESS should take into consideration the impacts of the fuel subsidy removal and the high inflationary trend that is currently being experienced.

    “We demand immediate implementation and circularisation of the agreed modalities for correcting the shortfalls in remunerations of clinical lecturers (honorary consultants).

    “We appeal for the universal applicability of CONMESS to all medical and dental doctors, particularly those in the public universities.

    “The attention of the government is once again called to the impact of brain drain in the Health sector, which is contributing to burnout among our members and inadequate healthcare workforce to cater for the health of Nigerians.

    “We, therefore, demand immediate implementation of the upward review of age retirement to 70 years for consultants and 65 years for other health workers as an immediate measure to bridge the ongoing massive brain drain.

    “The NEC hopes that all these issues will be satisfactorily resolved within the next 21 days, failing which it can no longer guarantee the present relative industrial harmony within the government hospitals and our medical schools.”

  • Kano medical miracle

    •Successful brain surgery is proof that, with necessary facilities, our doctors can do it

    NIGERIAN  medical doctors practicing in the country have over the years demonstrated on several occasions that they rank among the best in the world and can effectively meet the health needs of the citizenry if only they had appropriate facilities, motivation and working environment. Thus, despite the much lamented dearth of up to date equipment and demoralising job conditions, several medical feats such as open heart surgeries, kidney transplant and separation of conjoined twins have been successfully performed by Nigerian medical specialists right here at home.

    These outstanding accomplishments have been mostly performed in our foremost health institutions including the Lagos State Teaching Hospital (LUTH), University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Nsukka and the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), Ile-Ife, all in the southern part of the country.

    The news that five Nigerian neurosurgeons from Kano last week successfully performed the first brain surgery in the state within 48 hours is thus a landmark in the evolution of healthcare in Nigeria. It shows that there are indeed qualified health manpower across the country capable of carrying out delicate and sophisticated health procedures that wealthy Nigerians normally travel abroad to undergo if only they have the requisite equipment.

    This feat was achieved at the Muhammadu Buhari Specialist Hospital, Giginyu, Kano, and the team of five surgeons who performed the operation comprised of the consultant, Dr. Shuaibu Dambatta, Dr Atiku, Dr Musa, Dr Hassan and Dr Musbahu, all from Kano. The patient, Ali Iliyasu, hails from Dala Local Government in Kano State. Speaking on his condition, he said “I had been suffering from this problem for the past 26 years, when I had an accident. Since that time, my brain was not the same again. I and my family suffered a lot by going from one place to another, in search of effective medical attention and intervention to no avail. The last place we went gave me an appointment of 11 months after which a surgery would be conducted on me”.

    The lead surgeon in the operation, Dr Dambatta spoke on the success of the operation stressing that “we were contacted within the shortest period of time and we accepted to conduct the surgery. As you can see, the patient is talking to you now in less than 24 hours after the surgery; you know it is a successful exercise. He goes to rest room on his feet, just within 24 hours after the surgery. We all thank Allah for this all-important breakthrough in this specialist hospital”.

    This breakthrough underscores, once again, the need for government to invest in critical infrastructure for the delivery of social services to the people, which is the reason for the existence of the state in the first place. In this regard, it is noteworthy that the specialist hospital where the procedure was performed was constructed by the administration of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. During the commissioning of the facility by President Muhammadu Buhari, Ganduje had announced that it would not be run solely by government but through a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) arrangement and in accordance with global best practices.

    The state government’s adherence to that promise apparently contributed significantly to the success of the brain surgery. In the words of Dr. Dambatta, “This development became possible through the good process followed by the state government in making the management of the hospital to be under PPP, which helps in no small measure to have the state-of-the art medical equipment that made the dream a reality”.

    What can be described as a Kano medical miracle demonstrates once again that with adequate investment in health care, Nigeria cannot only substantially stem the outflow of foreign exchange by those seeking medical care abroad, the country can become itself a major destination for medical tourism, with positive economic benefits.

    We congratulate the surgeons and supporting staff of the specialist hospital as well as the state government on this major achievement.

  • Medical meltdown

    •Nigerian healthcare is seriously ill

    The fact that Nigeria’s health system is in dire straits has been reinforced by the recent publication of a damning report issued by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

    Titled “Failing Healthcare: How Federal Hospitals are Letting Down the Poor and Making Healthcare a Privilege Rather than a Right,” the 53-page report is a comprehensive indictment of three federally-owned medical institutions located in Lagos, namely, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi (NOHIL) and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute-Metta.

    It is a sorry tale of non-functioning and obsolete equipment, critical shortages of medical consumables and supplies, overcrowded wards and waiting rooms, and widespread disillusionment in heavily-overworked staff. Work is hampered by intermittent power and water supply, insufficient personnel, and a lack of administrative and political commitment to improving the situation in the short and long-term.

    As if this was not bad enough, the medical challenges in Lagos State were aggravated when medical and dental consultants at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) went on strike.

    The four medical facilities are the largest and supposedly best-equipped in Nigeria’s richest and most populous state. If they have to struggle with problems as deep-rooted as these, what other hospitals elsewhere in the country will be going through does not bear thinking about. Although FMC, Ebute-Metta, has described the SERAP report as unbalanced, the point remains that the hospital is not as good as it was many years ago.

    What makes the situation particularly distressing is that these public hospitals are the first line of defence in the war against disease in Nigeria, and this irrefutable evidence of their inability to carry out their functions effectively has grave implications for the quality of life in the country.

    According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Nigeria had a life expectancy at birth of 55 years for males and 56 years for females as at 2016. It has one of the highest child and maternal mortality rates in the world. Plagued by inefficient social infrastructure, the country regularly battles outbreaks of malaria, cholera and other eminently preventable diseases. In effect, its hospitals have a lot of work to do if Nigeria is to become a healthier place.

    The Federal Government must take the lead in turning the country’s lamentable health situation around. In this respect, it is tragic that nothing appears to have been learnt from the disgraceful revelations surrounding the Aso Rock Clinic in 2016 and 2017. It was found that the clinic lacked basic drugs and a functional x-ray machine in spite of a budget provision in excess of N3 billion annually for drugs.

    This scandal should have provided the opportunity for the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure that inefficiencies in the nation’s drug-procurement policy were fully addressed, along with issues bedevilling the supply and maintenance of medical equipment and facilities. However, it seems that nothing substantive was done to redeem the situation.

    It cannot continue. The penchant for politically-exposed persons to seek medical attention outside Nigeria has focused public attention on the country’s healthcare to a greater degree than before. Non-governmental organisations like SERAP are stepping up pressure on governments to live up to their obligations to the citizenry.

    More funds must be pumped into the health sector, and spent properly. Instead of wasting money on building new hospitals that are essentially white elephants which quickly fall into disuse, state and federal governments must focus on rehabilitating and expanding already-existing facilities like LUTH, NOHIL and the FMCs scattered across the country. In spite of the increasing importance of private hospitals, they still offer the critical combination of size, skill, service and cost that is unmatched anywhere else.

    The procurement of equipment, drugs and other consumables must be streamlined in such a way that costs are lowered. Instead of isolated acquisitions by hospitals, for example, it should be possible to enter into bulk-purchase agreements with drug-makers and equipment suppliers for all the federal or state-owned hospitals in a state or geopolitical zone. This would have the effect of reducing costs, effectively tracking supplies and substantially eliminating corruption.

    SERAP has done well to expose issues that no one was prepared to discuss. It is now up to state and federal governments to see that they are dealt with decisively.

  • Medical college to honour Gowon, others

    Former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon will today be bestowed with the honorary fellowship of the National Postgraduate Medical College (NPMC).

    Gen. Gowon signed Decree 44 of 1969, which laid the foundation of  NPMC 49 years ago.

    NPMC  President Opubo Dah Lilly-Tariah said Gen Gowon rememberd how the college was born when told about the award.

    Similarly, two past fellows of the college, Dr Ademola Olaitan, who is the immediate past president of the college from the Faculty of Dental Surgery, as well as former treasurer Dr Nimi Briggs, would be bestowed with Distinguished Fellowship awards.

    For this year, he said 3,086 candidates sat for the fellowship examination, of which 1,255 passed.

    Of the 1915 candidates that sat for the Part 1, 684 passed, adding that only 434 of the 774 that wrote the Part 2 exam passed.

    He said management was happy for fulfilling its mandate of training specialists over the past 49 years.

    “The college has made significant progress in its attempt at computerisation of all its activities. College now has personalised email account for all fellows, and has started submission of proposals and dissertations online, while we are also ready to deploy the anti-plagiarism software for dissertation and proposals.

    He said the college has continued to make progress on all fronts, including the computerisation of its activities.

    He added: “All financial transactions between associate fellows, fellows and the college are now online. Faculty chairman and secretaries are able to vet candidates for examinations online. The college was also able to conduct the last examination despite the Joint Health Sector Union   strike because a significant part of the examination was online.  The college is working to get all dissertations ever written in the college in a searchable form online before the end of the year. In this regard, we hope to work with collaborations with other colleges in the sub region.”

    A professor of Otorhinolary from University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Basil Ezeanolue, would deliver the convocation lecture with the theme: ‘’Do not be afraid and do not fail to rescue: A discourse on the challenges confronting Nigeria’s health sector’’.

  • Air Force begins medical outreach for IDPs

    Air Force begins medical outreach for IDPs

    The Air Force has begun a two-week medical outreach for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Maiduguri and Damboa, Borno State.

    According to Director of Public Relations and Information Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya, the medical intervention: “Alleviating the Medical/Surgical Needs of IDPs in Maiduguri and Damboa”, is at the instance of Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.

    AVM Adesanya, in a statement, said the programme would address the health challenges of IDPs.

    The statement reads: “In continuation of efforts at alleviating the plights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Northeast and other parts of the country, the Air Force (NAF) has begun a two-week medical outreach for IDPs in Maiduguri and Damboa Local Government Areas of Borno State.

    “Themed: “Alleviating the Medical/Surgical Needs of IDPs in Maiduguri and Damboa”, the outreach also involves surgical interventions for those with complicated and critical health challenges.

    “The leader of the NAF Medical Outreach Team, who is also the Director of Public Health and Humanitarian Services at Headquarters NAF, Group Capt. Azubuike Chukwuka, said the outreach, at the instance of the Chief of Air Ataff (CAS), is to assuage the sufferings of the IDPs and enhance civil-military relations, as part of ‘winning the hearts and minds’ strategy of the NAF.

    “Since the exercise started on February 13, the team has conducted 71 eye surgeries and 31 general surgeries. At Damboa, 32 eye operations and 10 general surgeries have been conducted

    “The team has so far provided free medical treatment to 590 IDPs at Damboa. Therefore, 1,272 IDPs have been attended to in Damboa and more are expected to benefit.”

  • Obasanjo: I’ll be visiting Bayelsa regularly for medical check-ups

    Obasanjo: I’ll be visiting Bayelsa regularly for medical check-ups

    •Ex-President hails Dickson’s investments in healthcare
    •‘Nigeria won’t have peace without reconciliation’

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has hailed the huge investments by Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson at ensuring quality healthcare delivery, saying the state will soon turn into a medical tourism hub.

    Obasanjo, who spoke  when a command performance was held in his honour at the Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall, Government House, Yenagoa, said he would henceforth visit the state regularly to have his medical check-ups.

    A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Francis Ottah Agbo, said the former president during his three-day visit to Bayelsa State, commissioned several legacy projects, including the World-Class Diagnostic Centre, Bayelsa State Specialist Hospital, the Bayelsa State Drug Distribution  Centre in Yenagoa and the Aquaculture Village in Igbogene.

    He also interacted with students of the flagship free Model Boarding School, Ijaw National Academy, Kaima as well as enrolling in the state Health Insurance Scheme, thereby becoming honorary enrollee of the scheme.

    The former President, noted with satisfaction, the level of development that has transformed the state, especially in the area of education, health, infrastructure, tourism among others, stressing that he would testify what he has seen to the world.

    According to him, Dickson’s placement of education at the top of his administration’s agenda was a means to eradicate poverty, curb insecurity and create jobs for the youths.

    He called on investors within and outside the country to take advantage of the prevailing security, peace and stability in the state.

    Obasanjo lauded Dickson for recognising and honouring past and serving leaders of the state for their immense contributions to the state’s growth.

    The former President described Dickson as an emerging statesman and a transformational  leader, stressing that anybody who wanted to see transformation should come to Dickson’s Bayelsa.

    Also yesterday, Obasanjo warned that peace would continue to elude Nigeria, if the people failed to preach, teach and practise genuine reconciliation.

    He noted that the peace arising from reconciliation would ensure economic growth and bring an end to poverty.

    Obasanjo spoke at the St. Stephen Anglican Church, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, where he worshipped with former President Goodluck Jonathan and his family.

    The former President was accompanied to the church in Jonathan’s hometown by Dickson and his entourage.

    Jonathan’s wife Patience; his mother Eunice; the King of Twon Brass, King Alfred Diette-Spiff; the President of Azikel Group, Dr. Azibapu Eruani; traditional rulers and other dignitaries also attended the service.

    Dressed in black Ijaw attire with silver studs, Obasanjo was entertained by church children, who performed a dance drama to highlight the importance of the country’s unity in diversity.

    Also, the Bishop of the Otuoke Diocese, Rt. Rev. James Oruwari, in his homily, which centered on reconciliation, said reconciliation would save the country from political tribulation and bring about peace and harmony.

    Reacting to the sermon and the children’s performance, Obasanjo said: “What touched me most in this short gathering is the children coming forward and singing the welcome song and dressing in the attire of different cultures, different tribes and different linguistic groups in Nigeria. For me, that underlines the homily you gave to us on reconciliation.

    “Country like Nigeria, unless we preach, teach and practise reconciliation, then we will not have peace. And unless we have peace, we will not have development. And unless we have development, we will not have growth and if we do not have growth, we will not come out of poverty.

    Obasanjo kicked against the popular saying that “history repeats itself”.

    “History doesn’t repeat itself. We human beings do not learn from history. When we do not learn from history, we say history repeats itself and when you continue to make the same mistake and saying history repeats itself, you are the one making mistakes,” he said.

    The former president, who sang his favourite hymn with the choir, urged the people not to toy with their freedom, adding that only persons who failed to appreciate the value of freedom would play with it.

    Jonathan said the performance by the children had sent a message that the country is one.

    He, however, lamented that media messages, especially the social media contents, portrayed the country as sitting on a keg of gunpowder.

    He described Obasanjo’s visit to his hometown as unique and thanked Dickson for ensuring that the former President was in Otuoke twice to see him during his (Obasanjo’s) three-day working visit.

    Dickson thanked Obasanjo for being generous with his time, adding that the former President meant a lot to them.

     

  • Ambode hails Canadian govt for donating $3.2m medical lab to Lagos

    Ambode hails Canadian govt for donating $3.2m medical lab to Lagos

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday hailed the Canadian government for donating a bio-safety laboratory estimated at $3.25 million (about N951.3million) to the state government.

    The governor said the gesture deserved commendation.

    Ambode spoke at Epe when he hosted the High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Mr Christopher Thornley.

    The governor also praised the Canadian government for partnering the state government in capacity building, especially after the historic victory against Ebola outbreak in the state in 2014.

    He said: “On behalf of the people of Lagos State, we like to say a big thank you to the Canadian government for being a very good partner to the cause of the state. People might not know, but we need to say this clearly. Even though we came out of the Ebola crisis, ever since that success story, the Canadian government has partnered Lagos State to donate to us a new laboratory that deals with bio-safety and issues that relate to bio-healthcare.

    “…In another few weeks, the Canadian government will be shipping in some equipment for the laboratory at the cost of over 3.25 million Canadian dollars.

    “That laboratory will be situated at the General Hospital on the Mainland. It is part of the capacity-building that the Canadian government is implementing to partner with us. We are very appreciative of this.”

    Thornley, who was accompanied by the Deputy High Commissioner in charge of Canadian Embassy in Lagos, Mr James Chrisoff, said the visit was to strengthen the relationship between the Canadian government and Lagos State, especially to dialogue on a working relationship in key areas.

    He hailed Ambode for the infrastructure his administration had put in place at Epe and other parts of the state.

     

  • LAUTECH-TH’s medical unions slam management

    LAUTECH-TH’s medical unions slam management

    OYO State National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), and Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital have criticised the management for redeploying 55 resident doctors.

    NARD described the move as an “aberration and deliberate plan to rob the people of Oyo State of specialised healthcare”; Oyo NMA and ARD  called it the “bastardisation of residency training” and “a taboo that must never be allowed”.

    Last week, the management transferred 55 resident doctors and six consultants.

    In separate statements, the three associations rejected the move and urged management to reverse the decision.

    The statements by Dr. Ugochukwu Chinaka and Dr. O. V. Nandi (NARD President and Secretary General); Dr. Omolola Atalabi-Oladele and Dr. Abimbola Sojimi (Oyo NMA Chairman and General Secretary) and Dr. Sebastine Oiwoh and Dr. A. Alabi (LAUTECH Ogbomosho, ARD President and General Secretary) distanced themselves from the management’s action.

    According to NARD, the transfer is an attempt to eliminate residency training at LAUTECH, Ogbomosho, saying: “It looks like taking 10 steps backward in an enlightened society as ours.”

    The resident doctors urged the management to reverse its decision and others on the transfer.

    It gave the management 21 days to rescind the decision or face further action.

    Oyo State NMA said it was abnormal and provocative.

    “The contract with the management and board of the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital and thus the current attempt to redeploy resident doctors or medical consultants to a non-teaching hospital is a gross anomaly and a breach of contract. We are of the opinion that it was done as an unintended error.”

    The NMA said it would not “wish the management compound the already precarious situation but rather think out of the box to find a solution to the already deplorable situation the institution has found itself in the last 12 months”.

    It added: “Aside negatively setting the pace in owing members of the Association of Resident Doctors of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital 14 and a half months’ salary, it has, among other previously publicised actions, recently made official plans to bastardise residency training in Nigeria.

    “Residency training is a competency-based intensive postgraduate medical training undergone by medical doctors in various specialties of their choice in specifically accredited hospitals by the postgraduate medical colleges (National and West Africa). Resident doctors are employed (starting as registrars) to train, engage in researches while rendering services of world-class standard.

    “By the structure of the training, resident doctors cannot be transferred across health centres, general hospitals, among others. While still remaining an employee of the employing hospital, they are allowed to go to specifically accredited hospitals for their specialist training, if their employing hospital is not accredited for such.

    “This ill-informed, distasteful and illegal action of the state government orchestrated and indulged by the hospital management is a total aberration not only in Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa but worldwide. We say It is dead on arrival”

    “We are also not unaware of the series of steps aimed at destroying the hospital; payment of percentage salary was the initial phase then to this illegal transfer and the final plan is to change the name of the hospital to their desired general hospital status.

    “The implications of the state government’s action will mean increase morbidity and mortality rate as well as poverty for the citizens of Oyo State. This will also spell doom for the training of medical students.

    “We call on all well-meaning citizens, political stakeholders, religious leaders and traditional rulers to wade into this matter.”

  • Ondo indigenes benefit from NGO’s free medical screening

    No fewer than 100 elders of Ikale Indigenes in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State  in Igbotako have benefited from a free medical screening bankrolled by an NGO, Careerbridge Foundation.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the elderly men and women were screened and diagnosed on various diseases ranging from hypertension, high sugar level.

    Others were; diabetes, cataract, hernia, night blindness, short and long sightedness, arthritis and dislocations.

    Mr Modupe Olowodahunsi, Chief Executive officer of the Foundation said his decision to help the elderly ones was because there was no enough medical care for elders which resulted to early deaths.

    The U.S.-based CEO, Careerbridge Foundation added that medical experts, specialists, opticians, ophthalmologists, pediatricians were on ground to attended to series of cases diagnosed.

    The Ikale son also said that the programme would be sustained as people who are diagnosed of serious health challenges would go for free surgery next year.

    “My mum died at an early age because of lack of medical care and this motivated me to assist our elderly ones here in order to discover diseases that could be treated to increase their life span.

    “This is not politically motivated but I am getting support from the U.S. chapter of the foundation which supports with funds and drugs for our people,’’ he said.

    The Foundation’s Project Coordinator, Dr Olusegun Dada said that the patients were responding well to the screening exercise and were also happy about it.

    “Some that were diagnosed of easily cured diseases were given drugs and will continue to come for medical check-ups but those with severe cases will be rolled in surgery January 2018.

    Meanwhile, some of the patients who spoke to NAN said that they were happy about the free screening exercise adding that it was a welcome development.

     

    They praised the foundation urging other youths to emulate the foundation for more elders to be rescued from early death.

    Chief Oladapo Famoye who was screened with cataract said he was happy for the free medical screening adding that he was given drugs to be used before the surgery next year.

    Another patient, Chief Taiye Owate said that he was diagnosed of hypertension and had been given drugs to regularise it.

    He commended the organisers saying that their forethought was a welcome development.

    Mrs Module Fakoya who was diagnosed of diabetes said that she was glad that she benefitted from the free screening.

    “I encourage other youths to emulate Olowodahunsi who have the passion to help the elderly ones without political motives,’’ she said.

    NAN reports that the five-day free medical screening which began on Thursday will also be held at Iju-Odo, Ilutitun, Ikoya, Ode-Aye and Okitipupa towns. (NAN)