A non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Adebiyi Habib Foundation, has organised a free medical outreach for over 400 people six rural communities in Ogun State.
The medical outreach, which was recently conducted in partnership with a team of volunteer doctors and nurses, provided essential medical services such as consultations, vaccinations, and health screenings for residents of Iboro, Joga, Iju, Sunwa, Ishaga-Orile, Imasayi, and Ibeshe in Yewa North Local Government Area of the state.
The founder of the foundation, Habib Adebiyi, stated that some of the benefitting communities had limited healthcare facilities and hence, the medical outreach was aimed at addressing the dire need for healthcare services.
He revealed that the medical tests carried out showed that the residents mostly suffered from diseases like high blood pressure, typhoid, strokes, eye problems, and malaria.
“We are not only developing these communities but also want to improve their health. So, there is a need for the government to provide more facilities in rural hospitals,” he added.
The Executive Director of the foundation, Abdulateef Akinsowon, lamented that residents in rural communities suffer a lack of access to basic amenities like water, hospitals, and schools. He frowned against the government’s main focus on developing urban areas while neglecting rural communities.
Akinsowon said the people were majorly local farmers who used their manpower to do everything and were likely to develop bone-related and high blood sugar health issues.
“Gone are days when the government had a whole package for rural dwellers. There used to be a ministry for rural development. Unfortunately, rural dwellers hardly feel government presence,” he said.
Some beneficiaries of the outreach said they hardly receive professional medical care, and that many of the communities lacked access to functional hospitals.
They said some of them usually travelled several kilometres to Abeokuta before accessing proper healthcare, making most of them resort to herbs when sick.
One of the community leaders, Chief Adedigba Odunlami, while appreciating the foundation for the gesture, said access to healthcare is challenging, especially for underprivileged rural people, seizing the opportunity to appeal to the state government to help rehabilitate the hospitals in the area.
Another resident, Mrs Basirat Obadina, said the Federal Medical Centre annexe in one of the communities has no functional surgical department.
“If we have anyone that is ill in this community and want the best treatment for them, it means we will have to travel to Abeokuta,” Obadina lamented.
