By Philip Yatai
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Friday, provided free medical services to 3,370 residents of Abuja.
The services, provided under the FCTA’s “Renewed Hope Medical Mission” included health promotion, antenatal care (ANC), immunisation, HIV and diabetes screening and dental care.
Other services are hypertension screening and management, sickle cell disease and nutritional assessment, amongst others.
The FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, during the commencement of the medical outreach in Bwari Area Council, reiterated the FCTA’s commitment to meeting the health needs of the people.
Mahmoud noted that Nigeria was one of the African nations with high maternal and child morbidity and mortality.
She attributed the development to poor ANC attendance, low facility-based delivery, and low uptake of immunisation and family planning services, especially in hard-to-reach communities.
She also argued that rapid population growth in the FCT has increased demand for health services.
To address some of the challenges, the minister said that the FCT Administration had taken steps to improve primary health care system in the territory.
She particularly said that the administration was currently renovating, upgrading and building more primary health centres across the six area councils of FCT, including employment of more healthcare workers.
Earlier, the Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, noted that despite improving access to quality healthcare services in FCT, many communities remained underserved.
Fasawe said that the free medical outreach was part of global best practices being 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. It takes healthcare services directly to those who need it most, through mobile health service delivery,” she said.
The mandate secretary explained that the medical outreach was expanded to cover more communities following the successes recorded in a similar exercise held in Kuje Area Council.
She said: “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 five operculectomia, with 48 referrals to Wuse Hospital.
“For eye care, we saw 931 patients, provided reading glasses to 531 patients, and made 91 referrals to Asokoro Hospital, where 29 cataract extractions have been completed.
“Antenatal care was also provided to 74 women, with 49 enrolled in health insurance.” (NAN)
Edited by Abiemwense Moru