Lawan Floats Free Medicals For Yobe North Constituents
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – Determined to give back in service to his constituents for their electoral support, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has flagged off free medical outreach and mass animal vaccination in the Yobe North Senatorial District, Yobe State.
The medical services include free eye care, surgical services, gynecological checking and surgeries for families.
It also covers free veterinary services such as mass animal vaccination for cattle, sheep and goats, and treatment and care for sick animals.
Flagging off the ceremonies in four centres, including his native home Gashua in Bade and Nguru Local Government Areas, Lawan said at the weekend that similar intervention also took place last year August.
“We did not want to repeat it this year because we had hoped that our people would have overcome the challenges but we still have so many more that are facing these challenges.
“So long as there are people with these challenges, we will continue to intervene by the Grace of God.”
Lawan said the target for this year was to attend to 400 patients, who are seriously in need of the intervention but he was later informed by the leading surgeon that there are almost 800 people have been already screened and will require the intervention but half of whom were asked to come back next year because the target was 400.
But good news came from the Senate president to the people as he directed that all those screened should be accommodated in the exercise, saying; “Now, I want to inform this gathering that all those that have been screened and found to be really in need of the surgery should be accommodated.
“So, we will be intervening for almost 800 patients this year by the Grace of God. We pray that at the end of the day we have a successful surgery on the patients.”
A statement signed by Special Adviser, Media to President of the Senate, Ola Awoniyi, said Senator Lawan was accompanied by Senator Ibrahim Bomai, representing Yobe South to the flag-off that was also attended by Royal fathers, including Emir of Mai Bade, Abubakar Sulaiman Umar; Emir of Yusufari, Alhaji Muhammad Zannah, and Emir of Nguru, Alhaji Mustapha Ibn Kyari.
The Senate Presient, who also visited the in-patients whose treatment had already commenced at various centres to encourage them, said between November and December, up to one million animals will be vaccinated which is twice that of last year.
He said the intervention is to complement the great work started by the former State Governor who is now a Senator, Ibrahim Gaidam and which is still being diligently pursued by his successor, incumbent Governor Mai-Mala Buni.
“Yobe State Government is part of what we are doing. We are together in this and we are together in everything because we belong to one and the same family in Yobe and we will continue to work together to ensure that our people enjoy those essential benefits that are referred to as dividends of democracy,” Senator Lawan said.
According to him, the ultimate way of addressing shortcomings in the health sector is institutional building, adding; “I believe that we need to do more by institutional building. That is, to build our hospitals. To build the capacity of the personnel in the hospitals so that this kind of treatment doesn’t have to come from any individual. That our institutions are able to handle it.”
Speaking at the flag-off in one of the outreach centres, Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Nguru, Dr. Abubakar Musa, described Senator Lawan’s intervention as very commendable, noting that it was a timely intervention for many who ordinarily could not afford to pay their medical bills.
He said; “This is very commendable considering the fact that most of these patients would not have been able to afford the cost of the surgery and a lot of them might not even be aware that such condition can be treated as it is a common knowledge that there is a lot of superstitious belief attached to it and many are ashamed to let people know of their conditions.”
