ANPA holds free medical mission in Abia 2nd week of April
By Steve Oko
Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas , ANPA, will hold a free medical mission in Abia State from April 4 – 10, Wawa News Global authoritatively reports.
The mission, according to Government source, is to complement the efforts of the State Government towards improving the health sector in the state.
Free surgeries would be conducted on patients with different medical cases while thousands of others would be given free treatment, the source added.
This was confirmed by a statement jointly signed by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo; and the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee cum Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, FMC Umuahia, Professor Azubuike Onyebuchi.
According to the statement, a team of over 60 physicians and experts in different branches of medicine from North and South America, will be involved in the free medical outreach.
The statement said that the surgeries would be conducted simultaneously at three designated centres that house the necessary facilities: namely – FMC Umuahia, Abia Diagnostic Centre Aba Road Umuahia, and Abia Specialist Hospital Amachara.
It, however, explained that beneficiaries must have been screened and approved before the arrival of the experts from the Americans.
The statement enjoined residents of the state with various health challenges to present themselves for screening at the designated desk offices in all 17 General Hospitals in the state, as well as designated health centers.
According to the statement, date for the commencement of the screening exercise will soon be made public, adding that the screening will be bankrolled by the State Government.
The statement also said that free transport to and fro the three surgery centres would be provided by the State Government for patients from distant locations as part of Government’s contributions in the project.
It said various complicated cases including screening for cancer would be carried out during the mission, adding that Nigerian- based human resources for health including House Officers will be mobilized to join the ANPA team for knowledge transfer and capacity building.
The statement urged residents of Abia with various complicated health challenges to take advantage of the rare opportunity to receive quality medicare free of charge.
It, however, stressed that only patients who had been screened and booked for surgery during the free registration exercise that would soon commence in all 17 LGAs that would be attended to by the ANPA team.
The statement further explained that the gesture was in recognition of the commitment of the Dr Alex Otti-led administration towards improving the health sector.
According to the statement, the deliberate allocation of 15% of Abia’s 2024 budget estimate to health, is a demonstration of both the commitment and passion of the Governor for a transformed health sector.
It further noted that “ANPA’s choice of Abia for the medical mission, was an acknowledgement of Gov. Otti’s special attention to the health sector demonstrated by his decision to, within the first six months of his administration, renovate and upgrade the Abia Diagnostic Centre Umuahia, Abia Specialist Hospital Amachara, and the Abia State Teaching Hospital Aba ( ABSUTH).
It said that the renovation of ABSUTH facilitated the restoration of Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) accreditation of the Abia State University Medical College which was lost under the previous administration.”
Abia health sector has received steady improvement since Gov. Otti’s administration came on board in May 2021.
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