Anthony Iwuoma
The three-day medical mission to Nsu, a burstling community in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, came to an end on Monday, December 23, 2019.
The programme, which was organised by Nsu Develpment and Cultural Association, NDCA, in North America climaxed with great flourish, as many patients testified and thanked God for the lives of the organisers.
“This is a wonderful experience. May God bless these our sons and daughters, who spared no expense, travelling all the way from overseas to treat us free of charge. I feel better now and believe I shall be well again after taking the drugs they gave to me,” one of the patients, who simply identified herself as Mama Nkiru, said.
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Another patient, Matthew Okoroafor, said: “It is good to have children such as these. I pray that our community should be blessed with more of them. You can see yourself that the programme is hugely successful. Hundreds of people were treated and given drugs free of charge. May God replenish the purse of the organisers.”
He challenged the government to take the health of the people seriously instead of abandoning them to fate but travel abroad to get treated when sick.
The programme had begun on Saturday, December 21. For easy organisation, the nine towns of Nsu were segmented into three groups, one group being attended per day.
As advised by the NDCA President, Dr. Steve Madu, in a statement, hundreds of people availed themselves of the opportunity to be treated. The treatment involved diagnoses, prescriptions, and presentation of drugs. Some severe cases were referred elsewhere for more detailed attention.
The organisers assembled general medical practitioners, obstetrician and gynaecologists, orthopaedic surgeons, ophthalmologist, laboratory scientists, pharmacists, dieticians and communicable diseases unit personnel to attend to the health needs of the people.
Areas covered included: Medical consultations, obstetrics and gynaecology consultations, ophthalmological services, including examinations and minor eye surgery or issuance of glasses, orthopaedic surgery consultations. General surgery – removal of minor lumps and bumps, health education by dieticians, laboratory services, covering reasonable grounds – renal function test, liver function test, lipid profile, pregnancy test, blood sugar test, urinalysis, full blood count, blood film for malarial parasites, etc; pharmacy services – drug advice and dispensing, communicable diseases unit – screen for sexually transmitted infections.
The NDCA is currently constructing a multi-million naira ultra-modern hospital complex for the community, which, when completed, according to Dr. Madu, shall be of international standard to be run by highly skilled professionals that would be paid good wages to enable them concentrate on giving the people first rate treatment that would be hard to get elsewhere in Nigeria. The hospital is currently receiving finishing touches.
NDCA organised the first medical mission to Nsu in 2017.
The president added: “This year’s medical mission is an opportunity to build on the experience of f medical mission 2017. NDCA wishes to expand services provided towards achieving a healthier Nsu in future.”