Rotary Club, Abuja Hospital takes free medical outreach to Piwoyi community

By Ruth Oketunde

The Rotary Club of Abuja Federal, District 9125, in collaboration with the Silver Cross Hospital, Abuja, on Saturday, organised free medical outreach for residents of Piwoyi community, a suburb in the FCT.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the medical services offered include; malaria, hepatitis B and C testing, HIV, Sugar level, BP checks and Ultrasound Scan for pregnant women.

NAN also reports that pregnant women were given free delivery kits, as free drugs and snacks were also given to all the beneficiaries.

Mr Obinna Nwandikom, President, Rotary Club of Abuja, Federal, said the outreach is in commemoration of the Rotary Club’s maternal and child care month.

He said that the outreach which has over 300 women and children as beneficiaries is aimed at supporting them due to the high cost of health services.

“The Piwoyi community has always been our adopted community in the club for the past seven years and before then there were some indices that we noticed.

“Like the issue of maternal mortality, we also noticed that they do not have a functioning health center aside this primary health center we have been supporting for some years now.

“Since our intervention, the high rate of maternal mortality has drastically reduced but there is need for more support to ensure that the health of mothers and children are kept at the right level.

 

He called on other philanthropist and humanitarian organisations to adopt rural communities in the FCT and assist them with basic health services, among others.

Also speaking, Dr Patrick Ezie, Chief Medical Director of the Silver Cross Hospital added that the gesture is aimed at assisting the poor and needy in the community.

“As an organisation, we took it as our corporate social responsibility to give back to the community and considering the fact that the month of April is celebrated as the world health month.

“It is our desire to see that residents of this community have access to basic health services and to reduce the number of preventable deaths among them,” he said.

Mrs Justina Philip, a beneficiary, appreciated the organisers, adding that the intervention had brought succor to her child’s health challenge, which had been been difficult to treat due to financial constraint.

Another beneficiary, Mrs Christiana Lawson, a 72 year old, also prayed for God’s blessings for the organisers.

(NAN)