By Onyeje Nancy Abutu
Civitas Auxilium Foundation (CAF) in collaboration with Equipping the Needy Foundation, has provided free medical services to 105 residents of Ijaha Community in the Wadata area of Makurdi, Benue.
The one-day outreach, held on Friday at the Ijaha Primary Healthcare Centre, offered free medical consultations, health screenings, treatment and essential drugs to residents with limited access to healthcare.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the outreach attracted market women, artisans, students, elderly persons and other members of the community.
A team of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare personnel screened beneficiaries for hypertension, diabetes, malaria and other common ailments, while those diagnosed with health conditions received immediate treatment and prescribed medications at no cost.
Speaking during the outreach, Ms Elizabeth Duile, Co-founder and Team Lead of CAF, said the initiative was aimed at bridging healthcare gaps by taking medical services directly to underserved communities.
According to her, the foundation was established by a group of friends concerned about inadequate access to healthcare in some Nigerian communities.
“Today, we are happy because our vision is yielding results. Our team has attended to mothers, fathers and young people who have not seen a doctor in years.
“We examined them, provided treatment where necessary and referred severe cases to hospitals with some financial support,” she said.
Duile urged community members to take advantage of free medical interventions whenever available, stressing that a healthy population was essential for sustainable development.
She also disclosed that the foundation had commenced a free adult literacy programme for internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Agatu Local Government Area who had been integrated into Ijaha Community.
According to her, the initiative is intended to improve the beneficiaries’ communication skills and enhance their ability to engage in economic activities.
She, however, expressed concern that although about 80 people registered for the programme, only 13 had been attending classes.
Duile urged the beneficiaries to participate actively, promising cash incentives to support their existing businesses.
Also speaking, a representative of Equipping the Needy Foundation, Dr Caleb Ogaku, said community-based medical interventions remained crucial for the early detection and management of diseases, especially in underserved communities.
Ogaku encouraged residents to embrace such initiatives to improve their health and well-being.
Also speaking, Chief Francis Ajima, Kindred Head of Ijaha Community, commended the organisers, saying the outreach complemented government’s efforts to improve access to quality healthcare at the grassroots.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Hadiza Abubakar, said she had battled malaria and typhoid for several months, relying only on local herbs because she could not afford proper treatment.
“I came here to confirm whether the drugs were truly free, and they exceeded my expectations. They examined me thoroughly, gave me medication and offered useful health advice,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Mrs Cecilia Oche, said the outreach enabled doctors to diagnose her with arthritis, a condition she was previously unaware of.
She expressed gratitude for the free medication and counselling provided, while other beneficiaries prayed for the continued growth of the foundation
They urged other non-governmental organisations to emulate the initiative. NAN
