3,000 smile as Onitsha Ogbogwu market holds 5-day medical outreach
From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
The leadership of the Ogbogwu drugs market, Onitsha, Anambra State, recently proved the essence of making an impact by saving lives through genuine medication as it organised a five-day free medical outreach for traders and residents who could not cannot afford medical treatment in hospitals.
During the outreach, over 3,000 people benefitted as a team of medical doctors, nurses, an optician, a pharmacist, and other healthcare personnel from the Anambra State Ministry of Health provided medical consultations, diagnosis, treatment, and medications to beneficiaries.
Addressing journalists during the exercise, the Chairman, Ogbogwu Drugs Market, Mr. Chukwuleta Ndubuisi, said the free medical outreach was initiated by his administration as part of its commitment to improving the welfare of traders.
He said the programme was organised by the market executive in partnership with the Anambra State Ministry of Health, which provided the medical personnel, while the market leadership supplied the logistics, drugs, and other necessary support for the exercise.
He explained that the primary objective of the outreach was to improve access to quality healthcare, particularly for low-income traders who were unable to afford the rising cost of medical treatment.
Mr. Ndubuisi further disclosed that, beyond the outreach, his administration had earlier established a medical clinic within the market headquarters to provide regular healthcare services for traders. He described the initiative as part of the leadership’s responsibility to safeguard the health and well-being of members of the market.
Commenting on the response from traders and the expected outcome of the programme, the chairman described the turnout as overwhelming.
He revealed that reports from the medical team indicated that more than 500 traders were attended to on the first day of the exercise while over 3,000 traders generally benefited from the free medical services.
On the financial implication of the programme, Mr. Ndubuisi acknowledged that the outreach required substantial funding. However, he stressed that the market leadership was more concerned about the positive impact the initiative would have on traders than the amount spent. He reiterated that the executive was fully prepared for the successful implementation of the programme and expressed satisfaction with the impressive participation
“We are not focusing on the cost of the drugs or other logistics,” “Our primary concern is the impact this programme will have on the lives of our traders. So far, we spent about ₦5 million on the procurement of drugs and other essential medical supplies needed for the treatment of beneficiaries, and we believe the investment is worthwhile because the health and well-being of our members remain our top priority,” he said.
Many beneficiaries described the initiative as timely and life changing, saying it enabled them to receive healthcare services they might otherwise have been unable to afford.
Also speaking, Assistant Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Mr. Benjamin Akudo, expressed satisfaction with the turnout, noting that the increasing number of participants highlighted the need for accessible healthcare services in the market.
“We started on Monday, and the number kept increasing every day. It shows that traders truly need this kind of healthcare support. Everyone who came was attended to, and no one was turned away,” he said.
Akudo recalled the case of a trader who arrived at the outreach in poor health but recovered significantly after receiving medical attention and prescribed medication. He added that various health screenings were conducted and essential drugs distributed free of charge throughout the exercise.
Some beneficiaries commended the organisers for prioritising the welfare of traders. Mr. Tochukwu Obiagwu praised the caretaker chairman for initiating the programme, describing him as a leader committed to improving the wellbeing of traders.
“I have traded in this market for years and have never witnessed this level of care and concern until the current chairman assumed office,” he said.
Another trader, Mrs. Doris Achonike, said she deliberately made time to benefit from the outreach after missing the previous edition.
“I missed the last outreach, but this time I made sure I attended. May God bless the chairman for remembering our health,” she said.
Also speaking, Mr. Collins Amadi described the initiative as commendable, expressing optimism that regular medical outreaches would help promote early detection of illnesses and reduce preventable health complications among traders.
“I checked my blood pressure, I was screened for malaria, consulted a doctor, had my eyes examined, and received medications all free of charge. This is a wonderful initiative,” he said.
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