The Federal Capital Territory Administration has provided complimentary medical services to over 3,370 residents across various medical specialties as part of its Renewed Hope Medical Mission initiative.
The medical services provided encompass a comprehensive range of offerings, including health promotion, antenatal care, immunization services, complimentary HIV screening, screening for diabetes, hypertension, and sickle cell diseases, free dental health services, nutritional assessment, and more.
A statement by Austine Elemue, SA Media to the FCT Minister of State, dated September 13, 2024, showed that during the kickoff of the free medical outreach in Bwari Area Council, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, FCT Minister of State, highlighted the FCT Administration’s commitment to meeting the healthcare needs and requirements that would ensure FCT residents receive top-notch health services.
Mahmoud noted that Nigeria is one of African nations with high maternal and child morbidity and mortality resulting from poor ANC attendance, low facility based delivery, low uptake of immunization and family planning services, especially in hard to reach communities.
She also noted that rapid population expansion leading to increased demand for health services has posed serious health challenges to the Administration.
To address some of these identified challenges, the minister stressed the FCT Administration’s commitment in improving the primary healthcare system, such as renovation, upgrading and building of more primary health centers across the 6 area councils, and employment of more healthcare workers.
The minister used the occasion to speak on the danger signs in pregnancy, importance of ANC attendance, exclusive breast feeding, importance of immunization in preventing childhood diseases such as polio, TB, pneumonia, pertussis, diphtheria, measles, importance of screening for HIV, Diabetes, Hypertension, amongst others.
Earlier, the Mandate Secretary Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, acknowledged that despite recent improvements in access to quality healthcare for residents of the Federal Capital Territory, many communities remain underserved.
She noted that free medical missions are global best practice used to provide targeted medical and surgical care to meet the health needs of the underserved and vulnerable populations.
“This strategy has been successfully adopted in many parts of Nigeria, and it takes healthcare directly to those who need it most through mobile health service delivery,” she added.
Fasawe emphasised that the success recorded in the last free medical outreach held in Kuje area council that gave birth to the expansion of the 2024 medical mission.
According to her, “We attended to 1,578 general outpatients, with 42 referred to Wuse and Asokoro Hospitals for surgery.
“Dental services were provided to 302 patients, including 45 extractions, 12 dentures, and 5 operculectomies, with 48 referrals to Wuse Hospital.
“For eye care, we saw 931 patients, provided reading glasses to 531 of them, and made 91 referrals to Asokoro Hospital, where 29 cataract extractions have been completed. Antenatal care was provided to 74 women, and with 49 enrolled in health insurance”.
High point of the event was the FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, while carried out consultation on some patients.
