No fewer than 60 Nigerian medical doctors practising in North and South America are expected in Abia State for a free medical outreach aimed at complementing the efforts of the state government in improving the health sector.
The healthcare mission put together by the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA), has been scheduled to take place between April 4 and 10, 2024.
This was made known in a statement jointly signed by the Abia Commissioner for Health, Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo and the chairman of the local organising committee, Professor Azubuike Onyebuchi, who is also the Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Umuahia.
It said that, “ANPA’s choice of Abia for the medical mission, was an acknowledgement of Governor Otti’s special attention to the health sector, demonstrated by his decision to, within the first six months of his administration” renovate and upgrade a number of health facilities.
The health facilities that received the Otti touch were listed as the Abia Specialist and Diagnostic Centre, Umuahia; Amachara General Hospital, Amachara; and the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH), Aba.
The rehabilitation of ABSUTH had facilitated the restoration of Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) accreditation of the Abia State University Medical College, which was lost under the immediate past administration in the state.
The organisers said that during the 10-day medical mission, free surgeries would be conducted on patients with different medical cases, while thousands of others would receive free medical treatments.
Apart from the over 60 physicians from North and South America, other Nigerian experts in various branches of medicine, who are based in the two continents would also be part of the medical team.
According to the statement, surgeries would be conducted simultaneously at three designated centres with the necessary facilities, including FMC Umuahia, Abia Diagnostic Centre, Umuahia, and Abia Specialist Hospital, Amachara, Umuahia.
It stated further that, “various complicated cases including screening for cancer would be carried out during the mission”.
To benefit from the free medical exercise, prospective patients are expected to “must have been screened and approved before the arrival of the experts from the Americas”.
Abia residents with various health challenges were enjoined to present themselves for screening at the designated desk offices in all 17 General Hospitals in the state, as well as designated health centers.
According to the statement, date for the commencement of the screening exercise will soon be made public, adding that the screening will be bankrolled by the state government.
To ease the cost burden of travelling from distant locations to access the free medical care, the state government would provide patients with free transport, to and fro the three surgery centres.
In addition to the foreign doctors, home-based medical personnel, including House Officers, would be involved in the exercise “as part of the effort to build capacity and transfer knowledge to the locals.”
The statement urged residents of Abia with various complicated health challenges to take advantage of the rare opportunity to receive quality medicare free of charge.
It emphasised that only patients who had been screened and booked for surgery during the free registration exercise that would soon commence in all 17 Local Governments of the state that would be attended to by the ANPA team.
According to the statement, “the deliberate allocation of 15 percent of Abia’s 2024 budget to health is a demonstration of both the commitment and passion of the governor for a transformed health sector”.
