From: David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi

Worried about the pitiable health conditions of some urban and rural dwellers in Anambra State, who could not afford their medical bills, an All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) support group, the Reality Forum, has organised an elaborate free medical outreach in Nnewi.

More than 3,000 beneficiaries, including children and the physically challenged, were diagonised and treated of various ailments.

The medical outreach featured health talks and sensitisation, blood pressure and blood glucose check, HIV/AIDS and malaria parasites tests, breast screening, surgical lump removal and other minor surgical procedures as well as free drugs and eye glasses.

The medical mission was targeted at all residents of Nnewi and its neighbourhood both indigenes and non indigenes alike who trooped out to No. 37, Igwe Orizu Road, Nnewi where the programme took place.

The medical mission sponsored by a Lagos-based public servant, Comrade Uzo Nwosu, and had a team of medical personnel under the aegis of Achievers Medical Team made up of 35 medical experts in various fields who were drawn from Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka.

In his remarks, coordinator of the programme, Mr. Eloka Maduekwe said that the main objective of the Reality Forum was to support good governance of Governor Willie Obiano whom he said had been exceptional in his leadership style. He noted that Governor Obiano gave Nnewi people the highest number of political appointments ever experienced since the creation of Anambra State “and that is why this group has chosen to support his administration through this medical mission.”

Financier of the Reality Group, Comrade Nwosu, said he was impressed by the turnout of people to receive the free medical treatment. He explained that it gave him joy to be one of the contributors to the wellbeing of his people.

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“It gladdens my heart that you responded to my invitation. What I do today is what I have been doing ever since. The only difference is that I do this in appreciation of APGA good governance in Anambra State. Nobody contributes to the sponsorship of this programme. I do it singlehandedly and we are not asking for financial help,” Comrade Nwosu noted.

According to him, he decided to support Governor Obiano’s administration because of the Governor’s achievement in the area of security network, prompt payment of workers’ salaries and pensions, good road network, agricultural revolution, among other programmes. He said he remembered when Anambra people in diaspora could not come home for Christmas because of insecurity which he said Governor Obiano had reversed.

He explained that his group was working for Obiano’s second tenure hoping that an Nnewi man would be the next Governor of Anambra State after Obiano’s eight years.

One of the special guests at the event and immediate past Deputy Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon. Chukwudi Orizu, lauded the free medical programme.

He described it as an expression of think-home philosophy.

Hon. Orizu who is now the transition chairman of Nnewi North Council Area called on the residents to always utilize an opportunity like that whenever it called to know their health status, saying “prevention is better than cure.”

Beneficiaries interviewed commended in unison the effort of the Reality Forum for bringing good health to them as many could not afford medical bills at various conventional health facilities. One of them, Ogbodo Chinedu said if government and other well to do individuals could be offering free medical treatments to members of society, most deaths could be avoided. They prayed for God’s protection, provision and sustainance for the sponsor of the programme.

Dr. Obinna Aniagboso led the medical team as Nonye Nnebe, a dietician and Nwabueze Jude, a laboratory scientist gave lectures on high blood pressure, other health challenges, meningitis and its prevention, respectively.